Xenon tetrafluoride

OK, let me start by apologizing in advance for not be modest.

I'm about to brag about my son ( again ).

But hey, I like to document my kids accomplishments, and if you can't be proud of your kids, what can you be proud about?

On Sunday, my six year old son Michael started to talk to me about the element Xexon. This didn't really surprise me at all. He was introduced to Chemistry via YouTube almost 2 years ago ( via the Tom Lehrer Elements Song, which I think he found via links on the Silent E Tom Lehrer Song which Michael and I once sang together. ), and he has since memorized most of the Periodic Table ( Perhaps all of it - every time I give him an atomic number he seems to be able to name the associated element ).

He told me that Xexon was a noble gas. I asked him what a noble gas was, and he gave me the appropriate definition. He then told me he was going to make a compound using a Xenon atom and 4 Fluorine atoms. It was at this point that I thought to myself "Gee - I guess he really doesn't understand noble gases. After all, everybody knows you can't make compounds with noble gases. That's why those elements are considered 'noble' - they don't mix with other elements.". So, I look at Michael and say "Are you sure you can make a compound with Xexon and Flourine?". At this point, my wife ( who was a Chemistry major in college ) chimes in and says "Actually, you can make a compound with Xexon and 4 Fluorines - it's called Xexon tetrafluoride." *

So, the bottom line is this:

My 6-year old son now knows more about Chemisrty than me. :)

( * I should also note that Michael did not learn about Xexon tetrafluoride from my wife. He said he learned it from some chemistry web site he found on his own. Let me tell you, Google is a really wonderful thing. It's going to revolutionize the way our kids get educated. )

Rich