You have cracked a secret code that uses elemental symbols...

You have cracked a secret code that uses elemental symbols to spell words. The code uses numbers to designate the elemental symbols. Each number is the sum of the atomic number and the highest principal quantum number of the highest occupied orbital of the element whose symbol is to be used. Messages may be written forward or backward. Decode the following messages: a. 10, 12, 58, 11, 7, 44, 63, 66 b. 9, 99, 30, 95, 19, 47, 79

Transcript

00:01 In this problem, we're given a secret code that we have cracked, and we know that each of these numbers represents an atomic symbol, but in the way that it is the sum of the atomic number plus the highest principal quantum number.

00:21 Now, the principal quantum numbers are related to electron configurations.

00:24 They're essentially just the periods in most cases, in actually all cases we have to note that it's for the highest octopied orbital so d is slightly lower and f slightly lower than that important to note but essentially it's going to be the atomic number plus the period so we might start decoding 10 okay well we can go to 10 and obviously it's not 10 though because we'd have to add 2 we'd be at 12 so we'll subtract 2 perhaps and we'll be at 8 so that is an o 12, we might consider the same idea, except we just noted that if we are at neon, then 10 plus the period 2 is going to be 12.

01:10 So, o and e, at 58, we can do the same thing.

01:16 We can come to 58 exactly.

01:20 And we might notice that if we then subtract 5 or 6 will be at 52.

01:26 So we're a little too far.

01:27 So we might consider something different.

01:28 We might say, well, 53, iodine plus 5, the period that iodine occupies, or its highest principle of quantum number, is 58.

01:40 So, i.

01:43 11, well, we might go back to period 2, or 9 plus 2 is 11, so fluorine f, 7, we might consider going directly to 7, and then going back 2, which brings us to boron, so b at 44, we might go straight to 44.

02:05 Okay, we're at ruthenium, but we'd have to add five, which would bring us to 49.

02:10 So instead we'll subtract five.

02:12 So we'll go to the left five and we'll come to y or yitrium.

02:16 So there we are.

02:20 63.

02:21 We might go straight to 63, and then again subtract the period would be the easiest way to decode this.

02:27 So 63 minus 6 is 57, which is lanthanum.

02:32 La, and at 66 we might do the same thing.

02:38 Go to 66, subtract 6, and we end up at neodymium, so n -d, and we have one if by land.

02:46 Now, for the next one, we might rinse and repeat the same thing.

02:51 So in this case, i'm going to go a little bit faster...