Brain Teasers
Elemental States
Science
Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.Science
Which two States (in the USA) have postal abbreviations that are also atomic symbols for elements in the Periodic Table and border each other both on the map and in the Periodic Table?
Bonus Question: How many States have postal abbreviations that are also atomic symbols?
Bonus Question: How many States have postal abbreviations that are also atomic symbols?
Hint
Both elements are metals and are solid at room temp.Bonus Question Hint: More than ten!
Answer
AL * - Alabama - AluminumAR - Arkansas - Argon
CA - California - Calcium
CO - Colorado - Cobalt
GA * - Georgia - Gallium
IN - Indiana - Indium
LA - Louisiana - Lanthanum
MD - Maryland - Mendelevium
MN - Minnesota - Manganese
MO - Missouri - Molybdenum
MT - Montana - Meitnerium
ND - North Dakota - Neodymium
NE - Nebraska - Neon
PA - Pennsylvania - Protactinium
SC - South Carolina - Scandium
*- bordering states
Possible Future Addition:
PR - Puerto Rico - Praseodymium
Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
What Next?
View a Similar Brain Teaser...
If you become a registered user you can vote on this brain teaser, keep track of which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
Solve a Puzzle
Comments
I liked that one electro. Being a physics teacher, I guess that was bound to happen with a teaser like this.
Thanks, I came up with it a few years back when I worked at a analytical testing lab running an SEM and doing lots of elemental analyses (EDX). It kept a lot of my coworkers busy for a few days!
Nice teaser electronjohn . I was surprised at your disagreement with me on the BALANCING BROOM and the TENSILE tug of war , but as I said , I am a Physics teacher and professor . Because I am such a stickler for correct physics and chemistry , I would like to point out to you that the ONLY proper way to write the chemical symbols is with a capital letter , followed by a small letter is needed . By the way , this method of writing the symbols of the elements is agreed upon by all nations and languages ...french , russian , japanese ..etc. I understand the teaser and it was fun but I still think that you should realize that aluminum is Al not AL .
Thanks Jonko. I am glad you liked this teaser. You are correct about the atomic symbol notation of course.
My problem when listing the answers was that the US postal abbreviations capitalize both letters while the atomic symbols do not. When listing the answers I listed the States before the elements so I just used the Postal Code system of capitalizing both letters. If I was not being lazy I would have listed both the Postal Code and the atomic symbol (e.g. AL/Al – Alabama/Aluminum), but I figured the meaning was clear enough as it was. The question is still good I think, even if I listed the answer a little sloppily, since it only talks about postal codes and atomic symbols with the same two letters and does not call for them having the same capitalization.
My problem when listing the answers was that the US postal abbreviations capitalize both letters while the atomic symbols do not. When listing the answers I listed the States before the elements so I just used the Postal Code system of capitalizing both letters. If I was not being lazy I would have listed both the Postal Code and the atomic symbol (e.g. AL/Al – Alabama/Aluminum), but I figured the meaning was clear enough as it was. The question is still good I think, even if I listed the answer a little sloppily, since it only talks about postal codes and atomic symbols with the same two letters and does not call for them having the same capitalization.
how come Puerto Rico is a future addition????? its another country!!! r u entertaining the notion that one day USA will conquer it??????
Puerto Rico will not become a state of the US unless they vote for it and the US agrees to make them a state. Many Puerto Ricans are strongly in favor of their country becoming the 51st State of the USA while other are against it. See the following site or others for more information on this topic.
http://www.prstatehood.com/statehood/index.html
I am not supporting or rejecting the idea of them becoming the 51st State only acknowledging the possibility that it may happen someday and if it does PR will likely be the Postal Code that they use.
http://www.prstatehood.com/statehood/index.html
I am not supporting or rejecting the idea of them becoming the 51st State only acknowledging the possibility that it may happen someday and if it does PR will likely be the Postal Code that they use.
Very good! I missed a few, but I did get Al and Ga.
Although this was a good one, I'd like to point out this was more of a trivia question than a "brain teaser."
Oh my gosh! ARGON spells GROAN when scrambled! nothin gets past me...
I thought that was a great teaser, a bit tough for me as I am Canadian, and was not sure of all the abbreviations (for all of the States).
Wow, that was a great science teaser! I only got some of it right. Keep up the good work!
All I got was AL, CA and CO.
To post a comment, please create an account and sign in.
Follow Braingle!