Name That Element!

This mystery element has a reputation for being tough. That’s because when combined with other elements, it forms strong, durable compounds. Some are nearly as hard as diamonds—the hardest material on Earth. But in its pure form, the grayish-white transition metal is soft enough to cut with a saw. Most of the mystery element— about 75 percent—comes from China. There are also large deposits in Canada, Russia, and the U.S.

Figured it out? Score 100 points. If not, take a shot at clue #2.

This mystery element is known for being tough. It combines with other elements to form strong, long-lasting compounds. Some are nearly as hard as diamonds. That’s the hardest material on Earth. But in its pure form, this element is soft enough to cut with a saw. It’s a grayish-white transition metal. Most of it, about 75 percent, comes from China. Large deposits are also in Canada, Russia, and the U.S.

Figured it out? Score 100 points. If not, take a shot at clue #2.

Adding ballast makes it easier for drivers to control their race cars. Weighing down the left side of a car keeps it balanced as it speeds counterclockwise around a track. The extra weight comes from bricks of the mystery element placed into tubes inside a race car’s chassis, or frame. “[The mystery element] is a very heavy, high-density material,” says Thomas Wolfe, a chemist at a company specializing in the mystery element. That allows it to pack a lot of weight into a small space.

Got the answer? Score 80 points. Otherwise, try the next clue.

Adding ballast to a race car makes it easier for a driver to control. Ballast weighs down the left side of a car. That keeps it balanced as it speeds counterclockwise around a track. The extra weight comes from bricks of the mystery element. They’re placed into tubes inside a race car’s chassis, or frame. Thomas Wolfe is a chemist at the company Global Tungsten and Powders. “[The mystery element] is a very heavy, high-density material,” he says. So it packs a lot of weight into a small space.

Got the answer? Score 80 points. Otherwise, try the next clue.

Radiation can’t penetrate the mystery element’s densely packed atoms—the smallest units of an element. That’s why it’s used to make shields that block these invisible high-energy particles or waves. The shields protect hospital workers using devices like X-ray machines and CT scanners that rely on radiation to take images of the insides of patients’ bodies. The mystery element provides 1.4 times the protection as the same thickness of lead (Pb), which is in the same period (row) on the periodic table.

Know the answer? Score 60 points. Need more help? Read clue #4.

Radiation is invisible high-energy particles or waves. It can’t get through the mystery element’s closely packed atoms. Those are the smallest units of an element. So this element is used in shields that block radiation. The shields protect hospital workers using X-ray machines and CT scanners. These devices use radiation to take images of the insides of patients’ bodies. The mystery element protects 1.4 times as much as the same thickness of lead (Pb). Both elements are in the same period (row) on the periodic table.

Know the answer? Score 60 points. Need more help? Read clue #4.

Darts were once made of brass—a mixture of the metals copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). But dart manufacturers later switched to a different alloy, containing up to 90 percent of the mystery element combined with nickel (Ni). They found that it produced darts just as heavy as, but slimmer than, those made of brass. Since the change, average scores in professional dart games have gone up. The reason: Players have a better chance of grouping the slimmer darts together on the board’s higher scoring areas.

Cracked the case? Score 40 points. Still guessing? Move on to the next clue.

Darts used to be made of brass. That’s a mixture of the metals copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Later, dart makers changed to a different alloy. It contains up to 90 percent of the mystery element combined with nickel (Ni). They found that these darts are just as heavy as brass darts. But the new darts are slimmer. Average scores in professional dart games have risen since the change. The reason? It’s easier to group the slimmer darts together on the board’s higher scoring areas. Cracked the case? Score 40 points. Still guessing? Move on to the next clue.  

An incandescent light bulb typically contains a filament made of the mystery element. Electricity passes through this tightly coiled 2 meter (6.5 foot)-long wire, causing it to heat up and produce light. “The hotter you can make the filament without having it melt, the more light you’re going to get,” says David Johnson, a chemist at the University of Oregon. The mystery element, which has 74 protons in its nucleus, is an ideal material for this purpose. That’s because it has the highest melting point of any known element. It remains a solid up to 3,422°C (6,192°F). Solved the mystery?

Score 20 points. Game over, go on.

An incandescent light bulb contains a filament. This is a tightly coiled 2 meter (6.5 foot)-long wire. It’s made of the mystery element, which has 74 protons in its nucleus. Electricity passes through the wire. That causes it to heat up and produce light. “The hotter you can make the filament without having it melt, the more light you’re going to get,” says David Johnson. He’s a chemist at the University of Oregon. The mystery element is a perfect material for this purpose. That’s because it has the highest melting point of any known element. It remains a solid up to 3,422°C (6,192°F).

Solved the mystery? Score 20 points. Game over, go on.

The periodic table is a systematic way to organize Earth’s elements—substances that each consist of only one kind of atom. Today, there are 118 known chemical elements.

Elements on the periodic table are arranged by their atomic numbers in ascending order. Hydrogen (H), for example, has an atomic number of 1 and is the lightest known natural element.

Scientists have created elements with atomic numbers greater than 92, but they don’t exist naturally.

The periodic table is a systematic way to organize Earth’s elements—substances that each consist of only one kind of atom. Today, there are 118 known chemical elements.

Elements on the periodic table are arranged by their atomic numbers in ascending order. Hydrogen (H), for example, has an atomic number of 1 and is the lightest known natural element.

Scientists have created elements with atomic numbers greater than 92, but they don’t exist naturally.