Curated Video
Exothermic
A chemical reaction or process that releases heat. 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 abstract...
Curated Video
Alloys
What exactly are alloys? What is it about their properties that make them so useful for a huge variety of purposes, from construction to jewellery? Chemistry - Periodic Table - Learning Points. Alloys are metals mixed with other...
Curated Video
Oxidation Reactions
Why do we cook our food wrapped in aluminium foil? Why does metal rust? It all comes down to oxidation reactions. Discover what happens to cause these reactions, and how to stop them. Chemistry - ReactionsLearning Points. The combustion...
Curated Video
Metallic Bonding
Metals can be strong and hard, or they can be flexible. It's the special behaviour of ions that give metals their different properties. Chemistry - Atoms And Bonding - Learning Points. Metal atoms bond together and create giant lattice...
Curated Video
Nanotechnology: What is It?
Still in its early stages, nanotechnology has the potential to change our world. What is it and how could it be used in the future? Chemistry - Atoms And Bonding - Learning Points. Nanotechnology is engineering on the smallest scale....
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
Flame Colours and Fireworks
Exploring the science behind fireworks, discover how different elements are used to produce different colours of fireworks. Chemistry - Atoms And Bonding - Learning Points. In the mid-19th century the inventor if the Bunsen burner,...
Curated Video
Alkali Metals
Witness the exciting reactions that occur when alkali metals come into contact with other substances. What does this tell us about their properties? Chemistry - Periodic Table - Learning Points. The alkali metals make up Group 1 of the...
Curated Video
Nuclear Fission: The Power and Dangers of Splitting Atoms
Find out what happens when an atom splits and why, depending on how this process is controlled, the consequences can be productive or destructive. Physics - Energy And Radioactivity - Learning Points. Nuclear fission creates energy by...
Curated Video
Reactivity Series: Reactive Metals
The discovery and uses of reactive metals throughout history, and how their uses have defined the period in which they were discovered. Chemistry - Periodic Table - Learning Points. The reactivity series ranks the chemical reactivity of...
Curated Video
Transition Metals
Transition metals are the largest group in the periodic table. Find out what similarities they share, and how we make use of these metals. Chemistry - Periodic Table - Learning Points. Transition metals are found as a block in the middle...
Curated Video
Introduction to Chemical Bonding
The basic ways elements combine to create compounds, fundamental to life as we know it. Chemistry - Atoms And Bonding - Learning Points. There are 92 naturally occurring elements. They fall into two categories: metals and non-metals....
Curated Video
Reactivity Series: Comparing the Reactivity of Group 1 and Group 2 Metals
We compare the reactivity of Group 1 and Group 2 metals. We add sodium and then potassium to water. We observe the reactions. Next we add magnesium and then calcium to hydrochloric acid and observe the reactions. The results let us put...
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
Ingenhousz's Heat Conductors
We use a metal box holding rods of different materials to test their ability to conduct heat. The box is filled with boiling water and a paperclip is attached to the end of each rod using petroleum jelly. As the heat moves through the...
Curated Video
Elements vs Alloys
We compare melting points of lead and tin to the melting point of their alloy, solder. By timing how long it takes samples of each to melt, we discover that the melting point of solder is actually lower than those of both lead and tin....
Curated Video
Extracting Lead
We discover how to extract lead from lead(II) oxide. We mix lead(II) oxide with charcoal powder and then heat the mixture using a Bunsen burner. It glows bright red as a reaction occurs and after a few minutes we are left with pure lead....
Curated Video
Silver Tree
We demonstrate a displacement reaction using silver nitrate and copper. A tree-shaped piece of copper is submerged in silver nitrate solution. The silver ions displace the copper and the tree slowly becomes coated with silver metal. At...
Curated Video
Covalent Bonding
How non-metal elements combine by covalent bonds to form compounds. Chemistry - Atoms And Bonding - Learning Points. Covalent bonds occur between non-metal atoms. The number of bonds depends on how many electrons are in the outer shell....
Curated Video
Redox Reactions
For centuries, humans have been extracting metals from molten ores. Today, the basic technique remains the same, but how does extraction work? Chemistry - Reactions - Learning Points. Metals can be extracted from rocks if they are heated...
Curated Video
The Halogens
Halogens are hazardous to human life, yet they can also be very useful. How do they react when they meet other elements? Chemistry - Periodic Table - Learning Points. The halogens are the elements in Group 7 of the periodic table. The...
Curated Video
Fossil Fuels: Use
Fossil fuels are a finite energy source. How long will they last, and why is it so difficult and costly to extract these fuels from beneath the earth and oceans? Earth Science - Earth's Resources - Learning Points. Fossil fuels are...
Curated Video
Natural and synthetic materials – True or false
True or false ... Metals are biodegradable? People and places - Environmental awareness and care - Natural and synthetic materials Learning Points Some non-biodegradable materials can be recycled. A Twig Tidbit Film - True or False? The...
Curated Video
Using magnetism – True or false
True or false ... All metals are magnetic? Physical processes -Electricity and magnetism - Using magnetism Learning Points Not all metals are magnetic. A Twig Tidbit Film - True or False? The children have to determine if a statement is...