This is one of the 18 Background Books published for Stage II of the Nuffield Chemistry Sample Scheme. The books were highly illustrated and designed to be attractive. This book describes aspects of the history of chemistry by describing the life and work of Humphry Davy.

This book was published in 1966 but...

A Catalyst article about Hurricane Katrina which caused many deaths in August 2005, and vast damage along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico in the USA. Hurricanes are an unfamiliar phenomenon here in the UK. Why is this? And can people expect to see more hurricanes in future as a result of climate change? The...

The Propagator project introduces students to hydraulic systems and their inner workings. Using a...

A Catalyst article about hydrogels. Soft contact lenses, disposable nappies, hair gel and plant water crystals all make use of substances called hydrogels. These are polymers which have the unusual property of being able to absorb huge quantities of water. The article looks at the structure of hydrogels and their...

As the need to find alternative cleaner forms of energy increases, scientists are looking to technologies, such as Hydrogen Fuel Cells (HFCs), as a power source for transportation.

This Catalyst article explains how hydrogen and oxygen gas can be used in a redox reaction to produce electricity, and the...

From The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), these activities look at hydrogen, its preparation by electrolysis and its potential as a transportable fuel.

In the activities, students:

• Study the properties of hydrogen in order to evaluate it and identify the technological problems...

This practical activity outlines how to grow plants hydroponically in the classroom. It aims to give students an understanding of the basic growth needs of plants. It also shows how hydroponics can be utilised to provide food to humans as our population expands.

This technique can be expanded in a number of...

This resource is based around the chemical composition of the human body and the origin of elements in the universe. Students can input a mass in the spreadsheet to see what proportion of their mass is from elements created in the Big Bang, in stars and in supernovae. Graphs are also shown for the relative...

This resource looks at the effective use of low energy light bulbs and how they have enabled the waterfront at Durban in South Africa to be transformed. The first activity sets the scene by showing how lighting is not only a technical process but has a social impact too. It then presents students with the challenge...

In this resource, students attempt to apply their understanding of heat transfer (convection, conduction and radiation) to the novel case of the Beagle 2 Lander.

Students are set the challenge of creating the best...

The kits give teachers everything they needed to run a debate on a set topic and help their students develop their discussion skills. The activities provide a structured way to start discussions and to engage students in thinking about contentious science issues. Using eight characters, with different points of...

A song that explains how atoms form the basis of matter.