The words on this card are composed of chemical element symbols. Since these are always either a single capital letter or a capital followed by a lower-case letter, they can be retrieved from the coded words unambiguously. Each element symbol represents a single letter of the alphabet, with its atomic number denoting the letter’s position in the alphabet.
For example, “H” is the symbol for hydrogen, which is the element with atomic number 1 and so represents the first letter of the alphabet, A. So an “H” in the coded message represents an “A” in the plain text. Similarly, “He” is the symbol for helium, which has atomic number 2 and represents the second letter of the alphabet, B. So “He” represents “B”.
The full message is:
Front page
This translates as:
O oxygen 8 H H hydrogen 1 A S sulphur 16 P S sulphur 16 P Mn manganese 25 Y Li lithium 3 C O oxygen 8 H Ar argon 18 R F fluorine 9 I K potassium 19 S Ca calcium 20 T Al aluminum 13 M H hydrogen 1 A K potassium 19 S
Inside page
This translates as:
H hydrogen 1 A Si silicon 14 N Be beryllium 4 D He helium 2 B B boron 5 E K potassium 19 S Ca calcium 20 T V vanadium 23 W F fluorine 9 I K potassium 19 S O oxygen 8 H B boron 5 E K potassium 19 S C carbon 6 F P phosphorus 15 O Ar argon 18 R Si silicon 14 N F fluorine 9 I Si silicon 14 N B boron 5 E Ca calcium 20 T B boron 5 E B boron 5 E Si silicon 14 N Si silicon 14 N F fluorine 9 I Si silicon 14 N B boron 5 E Ca calcium 20 T Mn manganese 25 Y - - B boron 5 E F fluorine 9 I N nitrogen 7 G O oxygen 8 H Ca calcium 20 T C carbon 6 F Ar argon 18 R P phosphorus 15 O Al aluminum 13 M He helium 2 B Ar argon 18 R F fluorine 9 I H hydrogen 1 A Si silicon 14 N He helium 2 B H hydrogen 1 A Ar argon 18 R Na sodium 11 K B boron 5 E Ar argon 18 R
Version 22: Revised 29 December 2008
Brian Barker