Back to Trailhead Missions
A Color-Coded Cipher is a way to create secret messages by shifting letters in text based on color codes. Each color corresponds to a specific shift value:
When shifting letters, if you reach the end of the alphabet, you continue counting at the letter A.
(a) Using the color sequence Red-Green-Blue-Yellow, encode the message MATH ROCKS.
(b) To decode a secret message, you shift the letters in the opposite direction using the same color code.
Decode the message YJCVKPI using the color sequence Blue-Yellow-Red-Green.
(c) A Rainbow Cipher uses the colors of the rainbow (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) in order, repeating as necessary. Each color shifts by its position in the rainbow (Red shifts by 1, Orange by 2, etc.).
Use the Rainbow Cipher to decode the message BNEIW ZJPVXJOU to find the name of a famous scientist.
(a) We encode the message by shifting each letter according to the color sequence Red-Green-Blue-Yellow. The results are summarized in the table below:
Original Letter | M | A | T | H | R | O | C | K | S
—————-|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—
Color | R | G | B | Y | R | G | B | Y | R
Shift | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1
Encoded Letter | N | C | W | L | S | Q | F | O | T
So the encoded message is NCWL SQFOT.
(b) We decode the message by shifting each letter in the opposite direction using the color sequence Blue-Yellow-Red-Green. The results are summarized in the table below:
| Coded Letter | Y | J | C | V | K | P | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color | B | Y | R | G | B | Y | R |
| Shift | -3 | -4 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -4 | -1 |
| Decoded Letter | V | F | B | T | I | L | H |
So the decoded message is VFBT ILH.
(c) We decode the message using the Rainbow Cipher. The results are summarized in the table below:
| Original Letter | A | L | B | E | R | T | E | I | N | S | T | E | I | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color | R | O | Y | G | B | I | V | R | O | Y | G | B | I | V |
| Shift | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Encoded Letter | B | N | E | I | W | Z | L | J | P | V | X | J | O | U |
So the decoded message is ALBERT EINSTEIN.
Remember, at QMAK, we don’t just teach; we empower. We don’t just inform; we inspire. We don’t just question; we act. Become a Gold Member, and let’s unlock your child’s full potential, one question at a time.