DVD

Chronicles the historical development of the concept of an "element" from the ideas of ancient Greece through modern quantum theory. Viewers learn that scientists like Boyle, Dalton, and Lavoisier began to recognize patterns in the behavior of chemicals, they sought a unifying principle that would explain why different elements had different properties.

Join us as we investigate the links between chemistry and real life using the most successful arrangement of scientific data ever devised - the modern periodic table! This fascinating series reveals layer after layer of meaning contained in this simple table with dynamic graphics and exciting lab footage.

Students will see how the elements are arranged and underlying patterns are revealed. A dynamic tour of the groups that make up the table combined with lab footage allows viewers to see chemistry in action. Includes a look at some of the many patterns found in periods and groups of elements that combine to create the world around us.

Viewers will see that chemical bonds are the key to understanding how elements combine. The differences between ionic and covalent bonds are clearly presented using vivid graphics and dynamic footage. Students see how valence electrons interact among atoms to form compounds, and learn how simple Lewis structures can help describe how easily an element will react.

Explores the connection between the atomic structure of an element and its properties. Students see how the behavior of the elements and the compounds they form is related to their valence shells -- and learn that anything that affects the valence shell will affect the chemical and physical properties of the element!