The History of Atomic Chemistry

Break down light into spectra. Scholars learn how atoms emit and absorb photons and come to understand how this process allows scientists to identify different atoms based on either absorption lines or emission lines. Learners then...

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...

The hydrogen in your body is exactly the same as the hydrogen in the sun. The video explains just how small an atom is and offers comparisons, such as the one above, to help facilitate understanding. It also presents the current model of...

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...

Discover the relationship between mass number, atomic number, and the makeup of the atom. The video instructor explains how to determine the number of each subatomic particle from the atomic and mass number. She demonstrates multiple...

Science concepts often span multiple disciplines. Learn strategies for helping pupils make the connections more effectively using an episode from the Good Thinking PD series. The lesson focuses on the concept of cells and atoms as they...

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...

Viewers learn about the history of our knowledge of atoms through the discoveries of eight different scientists: Mendeleev, Democritus, Dalton, Thompson, Schrodinger, Bohr, Rutherford, and Chadwick. 

In this interactive activity from ChemThink, students will take a closer look at atomic structure, properties, and behaviors. Includes background reading material and discussion questions.