"Newly updated throughout, and now covering 118 elements, this crystal-clear guide to the periodic table illuminates the basic concepts of chemistry as it traces the history and development of our knowledge of the material world. Albert Stwertka makes complex ideas and terms easily understandable, drawing upon engaging historical anecdotes and everyday examples to clarify the text. Since the second edition, many new elements have been discovered,...

Is it science? shows the scientific method at work. Each volume in the series explores a branch of modern science or a major scientific milestone, comparing and contrasting it with an older idea that has been proved wrong or fails to meet the standards of science.

Profiles every element on the periodic table and describes their properties, when they were discovered, and how they are used in household materials.--

The elements in the periodic table are the ingredients that make up our world. Explore elements such as carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, and learn why they are essential to our survival. See how precious gold protects astronauts in space, and why the metal mercury can be both a solid and a liquid. Find out about man-made elements, which the smartest chemists are busy figuring out how to use. Learn about scores of other elements, including silver, the...

"Silver has always been a precious metal, used in photography, dentistry, currency, knives, forks, and spoons (better known as, yes, silverware!). Silver is used in x-rays, mirrors, and even medical bandages. In this book, we'll explore how silver was first discovered and used, and how it forms into compounds and alloys. Readers will discover where silver fits in the Periodic Table, and how silver plays a part in modern day electronics from cell phones...

"Elements create everything around us, from the air we breathe to our very bodies. Some elements are abundant, such as hydrogen and carbon, while others are rare or only created in laboratories! How elements join to create compounds--and the matter around us--is an amazing discovery that scientists are still investigating. Readers will appreciate the accessible look at elements in this intriguing book, which includes comprehensible fact boxes, helpful...

"The periodic table is the way scientists have organized the 118 known elements. But up-and-coming scientists can learn much from the periodic table as well. In this book, they'll learn how to read the periodic table, including what an element's atomic number means and what the rows and columns signify. They'll gather facts about common and interesting elements and even discover how they can predict how elements might chemically react from their position...

"A spectacular visual guide to the more than 100 elements that make up you and everything around you"--P. [4] of cover.

Looking at the periodic table can be a bit daunting... how can you possibly remember what 118 different elements do? The Periodic Table takes a new approach to this important science topic by offering a fully visual guide to the elements. Featuring eye-popping photography and an enormous wealth of cool facts, this is the only book you'll need to help you learn about the basic building blocks that make up everything in our world.