CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
pathfinder
BOOKS — WEBSITES — PERIODICAL TABLES — A QUESTION — & MORE
pathfinder n 1 : one that discovers a way; esp : one that explores untraversed or unfrequented regions to mark out a new path TRAILBLAZER
books ‘n’ sites on CHEM ELEMENTS
call # book title & author
REF 503 McG McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of
Science & Technology, 20 vols.
REF 540 Che ChemLab, 12 vols.
REF 540.2 Crc CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics
REF 546 Che Chemical Elements, 3 vols.
503 Ult Ultimate Visual Dictionary of Science
540 Ems Molecules at an Exhibition: the science of everyday life, by John Emsley
541.2 Atk The Periodic Kingdom, by P.W. Atking
541.2 Stw A Guide to the Elements, by Albert Stwertka
546 Ems The Elements, by John Emsley
546 Hei Exploring Chemical Elements & Their Compounds, by David L. Heiserman
internet websites
A site from Tufts University includes a section on chemical elements and their development into life forms. Evolution of Chemicals
Using the periodic table, this commercial website provides lists of minerals containing the chemical element selected. Mineral Chemistry
A website from NASA showing which chemical elements make up the human body. Body Chemistry
sites on THE PERIODIC TABLE
This commerical site features the periodic table with links to information on the properties of each element, health effects and environmental effects, and the history of the table. Site can be viewed in 5 languages – English, Spanish, Dutch, French, German. LennTech Periodic Table
This super cool periodic table website from Los Alamos National Lab answers the question “What is the periodic table?” and provides information on chemistry, how elements get named, and on the very first periodic table. LANL Periodic Table
books ‘n’ sites HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY
call # book title & author
REF 509.2 Bio Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists, 5 vols.
546 Ald The Most Beautiful Molecule: the discovery of the buckyball, by Hugh Aldersey-Williams
921 Pau Linus Pauling: scientist and advocate by David E. Newton
internet sites
Wikipedia, an experimental, free encyclopedia, contains scientific and historic information on chemical elements arranged chronologically by discovery date.
This commercial site offers a page on “milestones in chemistry” describing the use of chemicals over the past two centuries in developing fibers, dyes & paints, adhesives, plastics, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products and detergents. Milestones
A primary source document of Dmitrii Mendeleev’s “Faraday Lecture” before the Fellows of the Chemical Society in London on June 4, 1889, in which he describes his development of the periodic table. Mendeleev Lecture
books ‘n’ sites on A QUESTION*
Without chemicals life couldn’t exist, but sometimes chemicals are harmful to life. In the past century carbon dioxide and other chemical compounds have become a serious threat to Earth’s atmosphere. When will the United States take seriously our responsibility in reversing the poisoning of the atmosphere? An article published in the British newspaper The Observer on February 22, 2004, reported on an unlikely environmental activist in the U.S. – the Pentagon. G.I. Joe turned tree-hugger? Can this be true? If so, why hasn't the U.S. taken the Pentagon's warnings seriously and begun to address global warming? Read the original article ― Observer article.
More sources on this issue:
call # book title & author
363.7 Bro The Toxic Cloud: the poisoning of
America’s air, by Michael H. Brown
363.7 Chr Greenhouse: the 200-year story of global warming, by Gale E. Christiansen
internet websites
The Guardian’s climate change archive
A U.S. Department of Defense press release
Cambridge University’s “tour” of the ozone hole
*A QUESTION is a feature of library webpages at Mount Si High School. The readings are recommended to encourage critical reflection on the subjects we are studying by asking challenging questions.
books ‘n’ sites JUST FOR FUN
call # book title & author
540 Sch Radar, Hula Hoops & PlayfulPigs: 67 digestible commentaries on the fascinating chemistry of everyday life, by Joe Schwarcz
542 Kra How to Make a Chemical Volcano and Other Mysterious Experiments, by Alan Kramer
internet websites
This version of the Periodic Table connects comic book references to chemical elements. The comic book website resulted from a hobby by two University of Kentucky chemistry professors.
American Chemical Society list of careers for people interested in chemistry and chemicals
PATHFINDER prepared for Mount Si High School chemistry classes by the school’s library, November 2004.
CREDITS: Image of the Periodic Table is from the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berleley National Laboratory
website updated 24 October 2007