Exploring the Atomic World
In this course we will do an in-depth study of atoms and molecules. We’ll find out how big or small things are at the atomic level. We’ll see what atoms are made of and the role of each part. We’ll find out what protons and neutrons are made of. We’ll see what role electrons play and how they allow atoms to stick together. We’ll look at ions and isotopes and find out what radioactivity is. We’ll look at the Periodic Table and investigate some interesting elements. We’ll explore the meaning of “quantum” and find out what “quantum mechanics” is. And much more!
Expected length of course: 15 lessons
Lessons
Atomic World, Lesson 1: Atoms
Atomic World Lesson 2: The Nucleus, and the “Standard Model”
In this lesson, we will find out what protons and neutrons are made of. A hundred years ago, scientists thought that atoms were the smallest units of matter. The word “atom” comes from “atomos” meaning “indivisible.” However, in the late 1900s, sub-atomic particles were discovered. These discoveries solved some mysteries such as how protons can […]
Atomic World, Lesson 3: Photons and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
In this lesson, we will explore electromagnetic energy. Light is one type of electromagnetic energy– it is the only type of electromagnetic (EM) wave that we can see. Other EM waves are all around us but we can’t sense them. Radio waves, microwaves and x-rays are also EM energy waves. EM waves can act like […]
Atomic World, Lesson 4: Electrons
In this lesson, we will find out more about electrons. The electrons are what give an atom its chemical properties– how it reacts to, or combines with, other atoms. Electrons have some very strange properties. In this lesson we’ll learn about their size, mass, spin, and wave properties. If the information in this lesson is […]
Atomic World, Lesson 5: What is “empty space” made of?
BEFORE CLASS: We’ve learned that atoms are made of mostly empty space. If the nucleus was the size of a marble in the middle of a sports stadium, the electrons would be the size of pinheads circling in the upper decks. If you removed all the empty space from the atoms in a tall building, […]
Atomic World, Lesson 6: Introduction to the Periodic Table
That last lesson was intense! This one will be much easier than the previous one. It might be review for some of you. In this lesson we’ll see how the various types of atoms (the elements) are arranged into a table that we call the Periodic Table. We’ll learn the history of how this table […]
Atomic World lesson 7: How atoms stick together
In this lesson we will cover the 3 basic ways that atoms can stick to each other to form molecules. It is important to discuss this now, before we go on to do more study of the Periodic Table, because there is a connection between atomic bonding and the location of elements on the table. […]
Atomic World Lesson 8: Atoms that don’t bond to other atoms
In this lesson we will meet a group of atoms on the Periodic Table that don’t react to, or bond with, any other atoms: the “noble” gases. They are the only elements that float around as single atoms. We’ve mentioned this group briefly in past lessons, but in this lesson, we’ll really focus in on […]
Atomic World Lesson 9: An atom that will bond with almost anything! (CARBON)
In the last lesson we met the inert elements that refuse to interact or bond with other atoms. In this lesson we’ll meet the exact opposite– we’ll meet an element that is happy to bond with almost any other element! This “friendly” element is CARBON. Carbon is the element on which almost all organic (“living”) […]
Atomic World Lesson 10: Radioactive Carbon (C-14)
In this lesson we’ll learn about some isotopes of carbon, including an especially important one– carbon-14. Remember, an isotope is when the number of protons stays the same, but there are different numbers of neutrons. For carbon, the isotopes are C-12, C-13, and C-14. You will read about the strange way in which C-14 is […]
Atomic World Lesson 11: The non-metals
In the past two lessons, we’ve concentrated on just one of the non-metal elements: carbon. In this lesson, we’ll look at the rest of the non-metals, including a sub-group called the halogens. We’ll end the lessons with the most abundant and important molecule made of covalently bonded non-metals: H2O, water. We’ll consider some recent research […]
Atomic World Lesson 12: Metals that don’t look or act like true metals (alkalis, and metalloids)
The word “metal” makes us think of things like iron, copper, tin, nickel and steel. We know that metals are, in general, hard and shiny. They can be melted and poured into molds. or bent into various shapes. to make useful tools and utensils. We have a definite idea of what a “metal” is. Technically, […]
Atomic World Lesson 13: Transition metals, true metals, and electron orbitals
This is a rather long lesson because we are looking at a fairly large section of the Periodic table. The last two lessons will be shorter. We now come to the largest “family” on the Periodic Table: the transition metals. They transition us from the alkali metals to the “true” metals. The transition metals are […]
Atomic World Lesson 14: The “Lanthanide” series (also called the “rare earth” elements)
In this lesson we will be looking at one of the rows that sits down at the bottom, usually underneath the main part of the Periodic table. These two rows actually belong right in the table. If you turn to page “x” in the coloring book, you will see a Periodic Table at the top […]
Atomic World Lesson 15: The radioactive elements
The actinides and other super heavy elements
