Noble Gases vs. Radioactive Metals
Eyewirers, it’s time to whip out some chemical combo breakers! Welcome to this week’s VS challenge, where two sections of the Periodic Table of the Elements will face off against each other. Where do you belong?
The Noble Gases
- “Noble” because their atoms’ outer shell of valence electrons is full, meaning these elements are above such petty things as chemical reactions (most of the time).
- They also tend to exist in a fairly solitary state, unable to form most compounds. Good elements for loners!
- Some included elements: helium (great for filling balloons and talking funny), neon (great for glowy signs), and krypton (from which Lex Luthor can’t really develop kryptonite).
- Check out these gases’ sweet discharge colors.
The Radioactive Metals
- A lot of these elements get a place set apart from the rest of the Periodic Table, possibly because the other elements are too scared.
- Any unstable atom is radioactive, losing energy by emitting various particles and gamma rays, but these special snowflakes emit that radiation all the time, and the effects of exposure ain’t pretty.
- Some included elements: uranium, plutonium, einsteinium… all the stuff that sounds like it will make you time travel or develop extrasensory powers.
- Usually metals, ’cause they’re hardcore.
Of course, some of you sneakier types might like to be on Team Radon… given that radon is a noble gas that’s also radioactive. But it’s not a radioactive metal, now is it!
This highly scientific competition gets started at 11:00 AM EDT on 9/15 and goes for 24 hours!
The usual bonuses
Earn 5,000 points – 2,500 bonus
Earn 15,000 points – 5,000 bonus
Earn 25,000 points – 10,000 bonus
For every 25,000 points above 25,000 – 5,000 bonus
Member of winning team (if you’ve scored at least 2,500 points) – 10,000 bonus
Highest scorer on each team – 5,000 bonus
Player with #1 overall score – 10,000 bonus
Player with #2 overall score – 5,000 bonus
Player with #3 overall score – 2,500 bonus
Artwork by Soyeon Lim