On the lookout for summer chemistry? And math, and art, and… you get the picture.
Ace this armchair treasure hunt and you’ll make a librarian very happy.
1. Here’s a corny joke: Q. Where does an 800-pound gorilla sit? A. Anywhere it wants to. What common English word is not in this joke, but can be spelled if you divide 800 by the numeric placement of each of its three letters in the English alphabet? The number associated with the first letter is four times the number associated with the third letter. Write down your word.
2. Which part of the library’s name can't be spelled with symbols from the periodic table? Awesome, now write down the two that can.
3. When you see an apple fall, you understand what’s happening because of this guy’s theory. The first two letters of his first name are your next word.
4. In everyday language, this word means an untested hunch, but in science it means an explanation of behavior in the natural world that is backed up by lots of evidence. The first three letters of this word are your next word.
5. This planet is the _______ in our solar system with a surface temperature of 465 degrees Celsius, hot enough to melt lead, and clouds of sulfuric acid. It’s also the planet of love. The superlative, not the name of the planet, is the word to write down.
6. To count every cent, you need to go to the second decimal _________.
7. This operator is used to check if a specified element exists within a given sequence in Python. Write down your operator.
8. Canton is a 
+
. The first image is your last word.
Now say your sentence out loud. Aww, that’s so sweet! We agree.
Next time you’re in the library, try out the in-person version below, and we’ll return the compliment.
In this puzzle, the answer to each step is used to solve the next.
1. Add together the numbers in the year that ______ donated the painting of The Bookworm by Karl Spitzweg. (2012)
2. Multiply by the number of wingback chairs around the fireplace. (8)
3. Divide by the number of courtyards the library has. (2)
4. Now add the number of sides on the fish tank (not including the top or bottom). (6)
5. Multiply by the total number of moles in one mole of H20. (3—2 H and 1 O)
6. Get the square root, and round to the nearest whole number. (=9)
7. Add up all the degrees for all the corners of all the tables in the center adult nonfiction aisle, and multiply that number by your whole number. (1440)
8. Divide by the number of self-check stations. (10)
9. This step has multiple parts:
a. Ask a librarian or check the CPL website to see how many years we have had ducks nest in the Children’s Library courtyard. (12)
b. Divide that number by the number of trunks on the tree in the Children’s Library. (3)
c. Now add a quarter for good luck, and multiply this number by the answer to the last step.
10. Now ask for a calculator at the Information Desk, type in your number, and turn it upside down to see your word.
To get your compliment, fill in the blank: We think you’re pretty ____ too—congrats on completing this puzzle!
(Answer: the end number is 5508, and when typed into a calculator and flipped upside down it spells the word "boss." According to Dictionary.com, the first recorded use of boss to mean “excellent” occurred in the 1880s.)
Add a comment to: STEAM Seekers: A Math Expedition