What things are made of
Things around us are made of materials like wood, stone, cloth and metal.
- Materials around us
- Hard, soft, rough and smooth
- Which things soak up water
- Changing materials
- From nature or made by people
5 chapters planned
Matter
Every book on this topic, lowest level first. Each one builds on the book above it. If a book feels hard, go back up the ladder to the one before.
NextYou are here Solids, liquids, gases and the water cycle
Water can be ice, liquid or steam, and it moves round and round between land, sea and sky.
- Solids, liquids and gases
- Air is all around us
- Melting and freezing
- Evaporation and drying
- Condensation
- The water cycle
- Clean water
7 chapters
NextYou are here Particles
Everything is made of tiny particles, and the way they move explains solids, liquids and gases.
- The particle model
- Evidence for particles
- Changes of state
- Diffusion and temperature
- Gas pressure
- Expanding and shrinking
- Dissolving and solutions
- Density
8 chapters
NextYou are here Elements, mixtures, reactions and acids
Some things are pure and some are mixed, and some changes make brand new substances.
- Elements and compounds
- Pure substances and mixtures
- Separating mixtures
- Physical and chemical changes
- Rusting and other reactions
- Burning and fire safety
- Acids and alkalis
- Neutralisation
8 chapters
NextYou are here Atoms, bonding and the periodic table
Atoms are made of smaller particles, and the way atoms join explains the stuff around us.
- Inside the atom
- How the model of the atom changed
- Isotopes
- Electron shells
- The periodic table
- Ionic bonding
- Covalent bonding
- Metals and alloys
8 chapters
NextYou are here Reactions, equations and amounts
Chemical equations show what reacts and what forms, and they let us work out how much.
- Chemical formulae
- Balancing equations
- The mole
- Reacting masses and yield
- Acids, bases and salts
- The reactivity series
- Electrolysis
- Energy changes and rates
8 chapters
Radioactivity
Some atoms are unstable and give out radiation, which can harm us or help us.
- Unstable nuclei
- Alpha, beta and gamma
- Half-life
- Background radiation
- Radiation and safety
- Uses of radiation
- Fission and fusion
- Weighing up nuclear power
8 chapters planned
Bonding and structure
The way atoms share or pass on electrons sets the shape and properties of every substance.
- Orbitals and electron configuration
- Ionic and metallic bonding
- Covalent and dative bonds
- Shapes of molecules
- Electronegativity and polarity
- Forces between molecules
- Giant structures
- Gases and the ideal gas equation
8 chapters planned
Energetics, rates and equilibrium
Energy changes, reaction speeds and equilibrium tell us how far and how fast a reaction goes.
- Enthalpy changes
- Hess's law and bond enthalpies
- Born-Haber cycles
- Entropy and free energy
- Rates and catalysts
- Rate equations
- Dynamic equilibrium
- Equilibrium constants
8 chapters planned
Acids, redox and the periodic table
Acids, electron transfer and patterns in the periodic table explain a great deal of chemistry.
- Acids and bases
- pH calculations
- Buffers and titration curves
- Redox and oxidation states
- Electrode potentials and cells
- Periodicity
- Group 2 and the halogens
- Transition metals
8 chapters planned
Organic chemistry
Carbon forms millions of compounds, and a few patterns explain how they react.
- Naming organic compounds
- Isomers
- Alkanes and fuels
- Alkenes and polymers
- Halogenoalkanes and alcohols
- Carbonyls, acids and esters
- Benzene, amines and amino acids
- Analysis and synthesis
8 chapters planned
Quanta, nuclei and particles
Light comes in packets, matter acts like waves, and the nucleus holds huge amounts of energy.
- Photons
- The photoelectric effect
- Energy levels and spectra
- Waves and particles
- The nucleus and binding energy
- The maths of decay
- Particles and antiparticles
- Fundamental forces and conservation laws
8 chapters planned