Name Alien Periodic Table
Earth's scientists have announced that they have made radio contact with intelligent life on a
distant planet. One of this alien planet's languages has been translated, and scientific
information has begun to be exchanged. The planet is composed of the same elements as Earth.
However, the inhabitants of the planet have different names and symbols for them. Since the
alien scientists do not know the names of our elements, they have radioed the following data on
the known properties of the elements. Strangely, but luckily, there are no transition or rare
earth elements on the alien planet. This means that their periodic table consists only of the
representative elements.
Directions: Using the clues provided (they are in the last slides OR you may want to open the
pdf file so you can see it as you fill in the periodic table), place the alien elements in their
correct places in this blank periodic table. Use only the alien symbols.
Analysis Questions
For the Alien Periodic Table and our own periodic table,
1. A group is a column.
2. A row is a row.
3. Elements are in the same have similar physical and chemical properties.
4. On the alien periodic table, which elements have similar properties to apstrom(A)?
5. On the real periodic table, which elements have similar properties of magnesium?
The Clues
1. Bombal (Bo), wobble (Wo), jeptum (J), and logon (L) are in the same group. All of these gases are generally unreactive
or inert. Among these gases, wobble(Wo) has the greatest atomic mass and bombal(Bo) the least. Logon(L) is lighter
than jeptum (J).
2. The most reactive group of metals are xtalt (X), byyou (By), chow (Ch), and quackzil (Q). All of these metals form ions
by losing one electron. Of these metals, chow has the lowest atomic mass even though it is not the first element in the
group on the periodic table. Quackzil(Q) is in the same period as wobble (Wo).
3. Apstrom (A), vulcania (V), and kratt (Kt) are nonmetals whose atoms quickly gain or share one electron. Vulcania(V) is in
the same period as quackzil(Q) and wobble(Wo).
4. The metalloids are Ernst (E), highho (Hi), terriblum (T), and sississ (Ss). Sississ(Ss) is the metalloid with the greatest
atomic mass. Highho(Hi) and terriblum are in Group 14. Terriblum(T) has more protons than highho(Hi).
5. Yazzer (Yz) touches the zigzag line, but it’s a metal, not a metalloid.
6. The lightest element of all is pfsst (Pf).
7. The heaviest element is eldorado (El).
8. The most electronegative element is apstrom(A).
9. Kratt(Kt) reacts with byyou(By) to form table salt.
10. The element doggone (D) has only four protons in its atom.
11. Floxxit (Fx) is important in the chemistry of life. It forms compounds made of long chains of atoms.
12. Rhaatrap (R) and doadeer (Do) are metals in the fourth period, but rhaatrap(R) is less reactive than doadeer(Do).
13. Magnificon (M), goldy (G) and sississ(Ss) are all members of group 15. Goldy(G) has fewer total electrons than
magnificon(M).
14. Urrp (Up), oz (Oz), and nuutye (Nu) all gain 2 electrons when they react. Nuutye(Nu) is found as a diatomic molecule
and has the same properties as a gas found in Earth’s atmosphere. Oz has a lower atomic number than urrp(Up).
15. The element anatom (An) has atoms with a total of 49 electrons.
16. Zapper (Z) and pie (Pi) lose two electrons when they react. Zapper(Z) contains only 12 protons.
