This addition to your escape room will pump up the challenge level, as it is multi-layered. First, decide what message you can spell out with a periodic table - most letters will be available, but not all. Say you want to give a hint about a secret book (that you've made into a secret container) in your escape room.  You can spell out the word 'book' by using the following elements from the periodic table: 

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B - Boron, atomic weight is 10.81 

O - Oxygen, atomic weight is 15.999

K - Potassium, atomic weight is 39.0983

 

Therefore, you would make 4 index cards with the following numbers written on them: 

10.81

15.999

15.999

39.0983

Players will find the cards and see the periodic table in the room. Once a connection is made to the atomic weights, the players will figure out a B, O, O, K - and they will figure out it spells book. Then, they know a book is important in the room.   

Now, if you use this to lead to the book - make sure you put the book in a very difficult place where they won't discover it first - or this part of the escape room will be a moot point.   

 

Alternatively, you can use this to give a pass code to a combination lock in the room by using the atomic numbers instead of the one letter symbols.  For example, if your passcode is 7456, you can use the following from the periodic table: 

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183.84 - Tungsten, atomic number is 74

137.327 - Barium, atomic number is 56

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Therefore, you would make 2 index cards with the following numbers written on them: 

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183.84

137.327

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Then, they make the connection with 74 and 56. They can try both ways on the lock and one will work for them.  You can increase the challenge level by using more atomic number cards, thereby giving them more combinations to work through.