History of the Atom

The greenhouse effect and climate change are hot topics in today's news. Young scientists may be surprised to learn that the concept is not a new one. In fact, Eunice Newton Foote, scientist, inventor, and suffragette, discovered the...

A two-part lesson plan asks young scientists to research the contributions of African American scientists at Bell Laboratories. After presenting their findings, class members watch two demonstrations that introduce them to total internal...

Take a historic view of our knowledge of atoms with a video that explores the discoveries of many scientists including Leucippus, Democritus, Rutherford, Bohr, Heisenburg, and more. 

Seeing is believing! But, how can something as tiny as an atom be made visible? Explore the history of the atom with a video from the American Chemical Society's Reactions playlist. Content includes early concepts of the atom, as well as...

JJ Thomson discovered atoms are made up of things, which he called electrons. The video in the Vertasium playlist explains Thomson's model of the atom, known as the plum pudding model. It presents the new knowledge Thomson wanted to...

Check out these Wonder Women! Introduce young scientists to some of the most amazing ladies the scientific community has seen. With stories from medicine, agriculture, and the Space Program, learners witness how women have played a...

It's almost impossible to imagine living without electricity, but it isn't that long ago that was the norm. An informative video lesson briefly discusses each important discovery related to electricity. The narrator highlights each...

This is a tremendous overview of the tiny atom. Journey through the history of human understanding of this basic building block of matter. Examine each of the sub-atomic particles in detail: neutrons, protons, electrons, quarks. Peruse...

From ancient Greek philosophers to early American Quakers, people have sought to understand the composition of matter for millennia. Follow along with this video as it explores the long scientific journey that eventually led to the...

After discovering plutonium, Glenn Seaborg was given the opportunity to determine its periodic symbol. Rather than going with the obvious Pl, he went with Pu as a joke. The designation was approved and is now on every periodic...