1. Trends in the Periodic Table
Tutorial - Periodic Trends and Patterns
This video explains how elements in the Periodic Table are arranged, and how electronic structure determines the properties of elements.
Mendeleev and the Periodic Table
Learn the basics about Mendeleev and the Periodic Table. Who is Mendeleev and what did his periodic table look like? Find out more in this video!
Are you smarter than a 3-year old?
Meet the adorable 3-Year-Old Periodic Table Expert Brielle
The Periodic Table Song
It takes only 3 min to know all the elements of the Periodic Table!
Four new elements complete the seventh row of the periodic table.
The newcomers are some of the heaviest ever discovered, with atomic numbers of 113, 115, 117, and 118. The periodic table may now appear complete, with the addition of the final four pieces of its seventh row, but now the race is on to produce element 119, and add a new row to the table. At present, the heavier the element, the harder its creation becomes, and several labs have tried to produce element 119 without success. As such, the four elements added to the periodic table this year may be the last added for a number of years.
Interactive Periodic Table from RSC
The Royal Society of Chemistry's interactive periodic table features history, alchemy, podcasts, videos, and data trends across the periodic table. Click the tabs at the top to explore each section. Use the buttons above to change your view of the periodic table and view Murray Robertson’s stunning Visual Elements artwork. Click each element to read detailed information.
The Elements by Theodore Gray
The Elements app is a scrumptious visual exploration of the elements that make up everything around us. More than a simple reference app, The Elements showcases the building blocks of our universe through engaging words and photographs.
2. Group 1 - Alkali Metals
Tutorial - Group 1: The Alkali Metals
This video explains the trends in the physical and chemical properties of alkali metals.
Reaction of Alkali Metals with Water
Watch to the end for the best (Cesium!). A wonderful representation of the alkali metals and their accurate reactivity with water. Unlike Brainiac, who did in fact use explosives in their episode for rubidium and cesium.
Properties of Sodium Metal
NileRed shows us the properties of sodium metal in this video.
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3. Group 17 - The Halogens
Tutorial - Group 17: The Halogens
This video explains the trends in the physical and chemical properties of Group 17 elements.
The Halogens: Displacement
The purpose of this demonstration is to explore the similarities and differences in the chemical properties of the halogens. The reactions of chlorine, bromine, and iodine with sodium chloride, sodium bromide, and sodium iodide will be investigated in order to determine the periodic trend for the reactivity of the halogens. Chlorine, bromine, and iodine will be identified by their unique colors in water and hexane.
4. Group 18 - The Noble Gases
Tutorial - Group 18: The Noble Gases
This video explains the properties and uses of noble gases.
How many balloons would it take to lift you up?
Balloons are often filled with helium, which has a lifting force of one gram per meter. It's possible to assemble enough balloons to lift yourself from the ground, but how many balloons does it take?
Noble Gas Light Emissions
When a high voltage is applied across both ends of the tube containing different noble gases, the electrons flow through the tube and collide with the gas atoms.
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From left to right, Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, Hydrogen
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Note that not all signs are neon signs. They may be noble gas signs that are made up of different quantities of noble gases and different coloured glasses. These two combinations allow many different colours to be produced.
Using Xenon to Image Living Lungs
Dr Peter Wothers travels to the Sheffield University MRI Unit at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital to explore how the strange properties of his favourite chemical element are being used to image living lungs.
5. The Transition Elements
Tutorial - The Transition Metals
This video explains the characteristic properties of transition metals.
Colours of Transition Metals
This graphic looks at the colours of transition metal ions when they are in aqueous solution (in water), and also looks at the reason why we see coloured compounds and complexes for transition metals. This helps explain, for example, why rust (iron oxide) is an orange colour, and why the Statue of Liberty, made of copper, is no longer the shiny, metallic orange of copper, but a pale green colour given by the compound copper carbonate.