Chemical Elements

Chemical elements are substances composed of only one type of atom and they cannot be broken down further. Chemical elements are the simplest forms of matter and each one is assigned a specific atomic number. Check out these articles on chemical elements.

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What Are Isotopes?

You don't need to be a fan of chemistry to appreciate isotopes. They affect geology and medicine, too.

By Mark Mancini Jun 17, 2019 Chemistry / Chemical Elements

Elemental Haiku: A Poetic Take on the Periodic Table

Award-winning poet and fiction writer Mary Soon Lee has found a charming way to combine science and poetry in a refreshing new take on the periodic table of elements.

By Carrie Tatro May 24, 2019 Chemistry / Chemical Elements

Quiz: The Periodic Table Turns 150

It’s the ultimate cheat sheet for science class — and it’s right there hanging on the wall. What do you really know about the indispensable periodic table of elements?

By Nathan Chandler Chemistry / Chemical Elements

Common Pool Chemical Could Be Key to Building Triple-Helix DNA Nanomaterials

A molecule used to protect the chlorine in swimming pools from sunlight could be key to building new kind of DNA structures

By Patrick J. Kiger Mar 9, 2016 Chemistry / Chemical Elements

How Gold Works

We love it. We wear it glittering around our necks and sparkling at our ears, wrists and feet. We pass it down to our children and hoard it in secret stashes. Why is this precious metal so prized?

By William Harris Chemistry / Chemical Elements

How the Periodic Table Works

It begins with an unassuming "H" and ends in crazy elements that you've likely never heard of. But the periodic table, encapsulated on a mere sheet of paper, can be a scientist's best friend and a testament to our human drive to organize the world.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. Chemistry / Chemical Elements

How Lead Works

Lead is one of the most maligned metals on the periodic table and for good reason. Lead poisoning is serious. But the beleaguered element isn't all bad, especially when it's protecting you from radiation.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. Chemistry / Chemical Elements

How Aluminum Works

Once considered a semiprecious metal alongside gold and silver, aluminum pretty much languished in obscurity until the 19th century. How did the metal become so ubiquitous?

By William Harris Chemistry / Chemical Elements

Is it harmful to breathe 100-percent oxygen?

We need oxygen to live, so it seems to me that if we got more oxygen, we would be better off. Is it harmful to breathe 100-percent oxygen? What will happen?

By Marshall Brain Chemistry / Chemical Elements