Curated Video
Nitrates: Food Preservatives
Potassium nitrate is a natural substance found in your food, or in an exploding firework. What makes it so versatile? Chemistry - Chemical Industries - Learning Points. Potassium nitrate preserves our food and is a component of...
Curated Video
Food Basics: Proteins
Proteins are at the root of virtually all bodily functions, from growth to metabolism to transporting oxygen around the body. Learn how your body makes or ingests all the protein you need. Chemistry - Chemical Industries - Learning...
Curated Video
Metals in Medicine
Metals are used in the human body for a wide range of medical purposes. Discover which metals are used and what properties they have that can help to heal us. Chemistry - Periodic Table - Learning Points. Titanium, stainless steel and...
Curated Video
Balanced Diet - Nutrition Essentials
Discover which foods are vital for a healthy diet. What should you be eating, how much, and why? Biology - Healthy Living - Learning Points. You need a balanced diet to be healthy. A balanced diet is varied and contains different amounts...
Curated Video
What is a Calorie?
Everything we eat contains calories. We need them to function and carry out everyday tasks. How do we know which foods are right to eat and which contain 'empty calories'? Chemistry - Chemical Industries - Learning Points. Calories are...
Curated Video
Algae: Diverse and Vital Organisms of Our Ecosystems
Discover the amazingly diverse world of algae. These species come in all shapes and sizes, and are one of the most important groups of organisms on our planet. Biology - Ecosystems - Learning Points. Algae produce more oxygen than all...
Curated Video
Water Forces
The unique force created by hydrogen bonding gives water some unique properties, which seem to defy the laws of nature. Chemistry - Atoms And Bonding - Learning Points. Hydrogen bonding is a special force of attraction between water...
Curated Video
Types of Weather: Rain
Rain is essential to our planet. Without it, all life on Earth would struggle to survive. How do rain clouds form and what determines whether it rains or not? Earth Science - Weather - Learning Points. Rainfall comes from the clouds...
Curated Video
Esters and Perfumes
Esters occur in nature and have been harnessed by the perfume industry. What are esters and how are they made and used? Chemistry - Chemical Industries - Learning Points. Esters give many fruits their scents, including bananas, lavender...
Curated Video
What is a Cell? - Life’s Building Blocks
Every living thing on our planet, from plants to animals, is made up of cells. Cells are the building blocks of life, but what are they and how do they work? Biology - Cells And DNA - Learning Points. All cells have vital genetic...
Curated Video
Molecule
Two or more atoms held strongly together by covalent bonds. A Twig Science Glossary Film. Key scientific terms defined in just 60 seconds using stunning images and concise textual definitions. Twig Science Glossary Films reinforce...
Curated Video
Rusting Nails
We investigate the conditions needed for rust to form. Four iron nails are placed under different conditions. One is half submerged in water. Another is completely submerged in boiled water. One is half submerged in salt water. The final...
Curated Video
Dissection: Heart
We dissect and examine a cow\u2019s heart to show the position and function of different parts. This includes the coronary artery, ventricles, atria, pericardium and the thickness of the muscle tissue. Biology - Human Body - Learning...
Curated Video
Electrolysis of Water
We use electrolysis to break water molecules down into hydrogen and oxygen. This is done using the Hoffman apparatus. Water is added to the apparatus along with some dilute sulfuric acid. When a current is passed through the water,...
Curated Video
Incandescent Light Bulb
We look at how an incandescent light bulb can be made. First we attach a tungsten wire to electrodes in a flask of air and pass a current through the wire. The wire glows briefly before burning and breaking. Next we fill the flask with...
Curated Video
Capillary Action
Water is added to dry and bent matchsticks to let us see capillary action at work. The wood absorbs the water causing the matchsticks to straighten. Biology - Plants - Learning Points. Water is a polar molecule because the electrons are...
Curated Video
Anaerobic Respiration: Observing Yeast's Oxygen-Free Energy Production
We use yeast to let us observe anaerobic respiration. The yeast is added to warm water and glucose. A layer of oil is placed over the solution so that no oxygen is available. The solution starts to bubble and the gas produced passes...
Curated Video
Dissection: Lungs
We dissect and examine a cow\u2019s lungs. Before the dissection, the lungs are inflated to show the changes in volume that occur when mammals breathe. During the dissection the position and function of different parts are examined,...
Curated Video
Iron and Luminol
We use potassium ferricyanide and luminol indicator to show how forensic scientists detect blood at crime scenes. The luminol indicator contains luminol, sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide. When luminol comes into contact with the...
Curated Video
Mass of Wire Wool
We look at how the mass of wire wool changes when it is burned. Wire wool is almost 99% iron. When we burn it, it combines chemically with oxygen from the air to form iron(III) oxide. The mass of the product is more than the mass of the...
Curated Video
Burning Bubbles
We investigate the properties of two types of gas bubbles: methane gas bubbles and bubbles of the gas we breathe out. The air-filled bubbles sink and we are unable to set them alight, while the methane bubbles float upwards and are...
Curated Video
Aerobic Respiration: Observing Oxygen Use in Maggots
We use maggots to let us observe aerobic respiration. The maggots are placed over sodium hydroxide in a specimen tube. A bung and delivery tube are attached to the specimen tube that feed into a boiling tube of coloured water. In the...
Curated Video
Dry Ice and Magnesium
We use magnesium and blocks of dry ice to show how a redox reaction occurs. A cavity in a block of dry ice is filled with coils of magnesium ribbon, which are set alight. A second block is then placed on top, but instead of this putting...
Curated Video
Asellus Blood Flow
We use a microscope to examine the blood flow in the open circulatory system of asellus aquaticus. We are able to see the haemolymph moving through its limbs in different directions. Biology - Human Body - Learning Points. Large...