Your chemistry class has been exploring the periodic table and its relationship with electron configurations and orbital diagrams, but what your teachers have not told you is that you are all trapped in this unit.
The administration has dubbed this The Carbon Conundrum.
Your teachers have received a puzzling message from the administration that reads as follows:
Period 1, Group 1
Period 3, Group 2
Period 5, Group 17
1s22s22p4
p = 36, n = 47, e = 36
[Xe] 6s24f145d10
Conveniently, you and your classmates have been studying the elements of the periodic table and their electron configurations for a few weeks and you have what it takes to call them by name.
It is up to you and your classmates to work independently to crack the code and unlock the next unit in chemistry, putting an end to The Carbon Conundrum.
We are all counting on you to use your chemistry skills to solve this puzzle and set yourself, your fellow classmates, and your teachers free!
The Carbon Conundrum Plotagon video, Google form, and puzzle text were created by Ms. Leslie Farooq (@lesliefarooq). The Carbon Conundrum header photo is in the public domain on Wikimedia Commons.