Reef Chemistry Puzzle #19 I am a mystery when alone

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Reef Chemistry Puzzle #19

This is a tough one, unless you look up the last clue. Try not doing that first. lol

1. When I am written out and all alone, no one can be sure what I am or how to say my name
2. I sometimes happen over and over at regular intervals
3. For many years, Randy had a table of this type hanging on his work office wall
4. I contain the highest oxidation state of iodine and would be very rare in a reef aquarium

Good luck!

Previous Reef Chemistry Puzzle:

Reef Chemistry Puzzle #18 I am the longest!

Reef Chemistry Puzzle 18 1. I am probably the most important type of molecule in a reef aquarium 2. I am also the biggest type molecule in a reef aquarium 3. If I stretch all the way out, I can nearly reach from one end of the aquarium to the other, but I don't like to do that 4. UV light...

www.reef2reef.com

.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Potassium Periodate (per-I-O-date) ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Too much of a word game? lol

Here's a clue:

Clue 1 means its a homonym

Second clue;

What type of table would I have on my wall?

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

My first divorce?

 

[Garf]

Too much of a word game? lol

Here's a clue:

Clue 1 means its a homonym

Second clue;

What type of table would I have on my wall?

If the answer is elemental iodine I'm gonna eat my hat.

 

[dennis romano]

Number 3 is Periodic Table of Elements. That's all that I have.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If the answer is elemental iodine I'm gonna eat my hat.

It's not, so you do not need to worry. lol

If focusing on clue 4, the oxidation state is much higher than I2, just like chlorine has some forms in a much higher oxidation state than Cl2.

 

[Patx]

NaIO3 ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

And the answer is: periodic

Congrats to the folks who got it!


1. When I am written out and all alone, no one can be sure what I am or how to say my name

A homonym. In this case it could mean repeating in a regular fashion, or periodic acid, HIO4 or H5IO6

Periodic acid - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

2. I sometimes happen over and over at regular intervals

Repeating definition of periodic

3. For many years, Randy had a table of this type hanging on his work office wall

I had a large periodic table on my office wall. It was huge, maybe 3 feet tall by 4 feet wide, for classrooms. I could just glance up to get things like atomic weights.

4. I contain the highest oxidation state of iodine and would be very rare in a reef aquarium

Periodic acid or periodate are have iodine in the +7 oxidation state. A very strong oxidizer.

Sorry, I know this one was hard.

Happy Reefing!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The acid pronounced per-iodic not peri-odic like the table.

It’s akin to permanganate or peroxide or many other per chemicals.