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TELEVISION

Chemistry and Our Universe: How It All Works

Series: Great Courses

4.6

(66)

Episodes

Rating

TVPG

Year

2016

Language

English

Publisher

The Great Courses

About

Chemistry is the study of matter and energy at the scale of atoms and molecules. Covering a year's worth of introductory general chemistry at the college level, plus intriguing topics that are rarely discussed in the classroom, this visually engaging and comprehensive course requires nothing more advanced than high-school math and is suitable for any science background.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. Is Chemistry the Science of Everything?

30m

Chemistry is the study of all matter, but matter at a very particular scale - that of atoms and molecules. Professor Davis begins by outlining his approach to this enormous topic and then introduces the periodic table of elements, one of the most powerful conceptual tools ever devised.

2. Matter and Measurement

30m

Chemists have convenient units for dealing with matter at the atomic scale. In this lecture, learn the origin and relative size of the angstrom to measure length, as well as the atomic mass unit, the mole for measuring quantity and the Kelvin scale for temperature.

3. Wave Nature of Light

30m

Light interacts with matter in crucial ways. In the first of two lectures on the nature of light, follow the debate over whether light is a wave or a particle, starting in antiquity. See how the wave theory appeared to triumph in the 19th century and led to the discovery of the electromagnetic spectrum.

4. Particle Nature of Light

30m

Although light has wave-like properties, it also behaves like a particle that comes in discrete units of energy, termed quanta. Learn how physicists Max Planck, Albert Einstein, and others built a revolutionary picture of light that recognizes both its wave- and particle-like nature.

5. Basic Structure of the Atom

30m

Peel back the layers of the atom to investigate what's inside. Observe how electrons, protons, and neutrons are distributed, how they give an atom its identity, and how they affect its electrical charge and atomic mass. Discover the meaning of terms such as isotope, anion, and cation.

6. Electronic Structure of the Atom

30m

Starting with hydrogen, see how electrons organize themselves within the atom, depending on their energy state. Graduate from Niels Bohr's revolutionary model of the atom to Erwin Schrödinger's even more precise theory. Then, chart different electron configurations in heavier and heavier atoms.

7. Periodic Trends

30m

Return to the periodic table, introduced in Lecture 1, to practice predicting properties of elements based on their electronic structure. Then, witness what happens when three different alkali metals react with water. Theory forecasts a pronounced difference in the result. Is there?

8. Compounds and Chemical Formulas

30m

Turn to molecules, which are groups of atoms that make up compounds as well as some elements. Learn to calculate the empirical formula for a simple molecule and also its molecular formula, which gives the exact number of each type of atom.

9. Joining Atoms

30m

In the first of five lectures on chemical bonds, start to unravel the mystery of what joins atoms into molecules. Investigate how molecular bonds reflect the octet rule encountered in Lecture 7 and fall into four classes: ionic, covalent, polar covalent, and metallic bonds.

10. Mapping Molecules

30m

Working at the turn of the 20th century, chemist Gilbert N. Lewis devised a simple method for depicting the essential blueprint of a molecule's structure. Learn how to draw Lewis structures, and use this technique to explore such concepts as formal charge and resonance.

Extended Details

SeriesGreat Courses

Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists

Ron B. Davis Jr.Writer

Ron B. Davis Jr.Actor