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Oxygen - Element 8 Traditional Geocache

Hidden : 7/17/2005
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
3 out of 5

Size: Size:   regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

Located near the top of Green Mountain in Kitsap County.

FTF: geckoboy

First: The junior high chemistry lesson:

 

 

Oxygen had been produced by several chemists prior to its discovery in 1774, but they failed to recognize it as a distinct element. Joseph Priestley and Carl Wilhelm Scheele both independently discovered oxygen, but Priestly is usually given credit for the discovery. They were both able to produce oxygen by heating mercuric oxide (HgO). Priestley called the gas produced in his experiments 'dephlogisticated air' and Scheele called his 'fire air'. The name oxygen was created by Antoine Lavoisier who incorrectly believed that oxygen was necessary to form all acids.

Joseph Priestley


Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe and makes up nearly 21% of the earth's atmosphere. Oxygen accounts for nearly half of the mass of the earth's crust, two thirds of the mass of the human body and nine tenths of the mass of water. Large amounts of oxygen can be extracted from liquefied air through a process known as fractional distillation. Oxygen can also be produced through the electrolysis of water or by heating potassium chlorate (KClO3).

 


Oxygen is a highly reactive element and is capable of combining with most other elements. It is required by most living organisms and for most forms of combustion. Impurities in molten pig iron are burned away with streams of high pressure oxygen to produce steel. Oxygen can also be combined with acetylene (C2H2) to produce an extremely hot flame used for welding. Liquid oxygen, when combined with liquid hydrogen, makes an excellent rocket fuel. Ozone (O3) forms a thin, protective layer around the earth that shields the surface from the sun's ultraviolet radiation. Oxygen is also a component of hundreds of thousands of organic compounds.

Apophyllite, a mineral with large quantities of oxygen in its structure.

KCa4Si8O20(F,OH).8H2O + KCa4Si8O20(OH,F).8H2O

 

Now for the cache!

The cache is moments away from the top of Green Mountain. If you drive in, take the trail to the vista, and enjoy the view. On a clear day you can see Mt Rainier to the south east, Glacier Peak to the east, and Mt Baker to the north east. For a great view of the Olympic Mts, walk over to the south peak. At the south peak is benchmark SY5506.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Guvf uvxr fubhyq yrnir lbh ohfurq.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)