Conceptual Physical Science Explorations

Chapter 15: The Atom

Table of Videos

  • Chapter 1: About Science
  • Chapter 2: Newton's First Law of Motion
  • Chapter 3: Newton's Second Law
  • Chapter 4: Newton's Third Law
    • 4.1 A Force Is Part of an Interaction
    • 4.2 Newton’s Third Law—Action and Reaction
    • 4.3 A Simple Rule Helps Identify Action and Reaction
    • 4.4 Action and Reaction on Objects of Different Masses
    • 4.5 Action and Reaction Forces Act on Different Objects
    • 4.6 The Classic Horse-Cart Problem—A Mind Stumper
    • 4.7 Action Equals Reaction
    • 4.8 Summary of Newton’s Three Laws
  • Chapter 5: Momentum
    • 5.1 Momentum is Inertia in Motion
    • 5.2 Impulse Changes Momentum
    • 5.3 Momentum Change is Greater When Bouncing Occurs
    • 5.4 When No External Force Acts, Momentum Doesn’t Change—It is Conserved
    • 5.5 Momentum is Conserved in Collisions
  • Chapter 6: Energy
    • 6.1 Work—Force x Distance
    • 6.2 Power—How Quickly Work Gets Done
    • 6.3 Mechanical Energy
    • 6.4 Potential Energy Is Stored Energy
    • 6.5 Kinetic Energy Is Energy of Motion
    • 6.6 Work-Energy Theorem
    • 6.7 Conservation of Energy
    • 6.8 Machines—Devices to Multiply Forces
    • 6.9 Efficiency—A Measure of Work Done for Energy Spent
    • 6.10.Sources of Energy
    • 6.11 Energy for Life
  • Chapter 7: Gravity
    • 7.1 The Legend of the Falling Apple
    • 7.2 The Fact of the Falling Moon
    • 7.3 Newton’s Grandest Discovery—The Law of Universal Gravitation
    • 7.4 Gravity and Distance: The Inverse-Square Law
    • 7.5 The Universal Gravitational Constant, G
    • 7.6 The Mass of the Earth Is Measured
    • 7.7 Projectile Motion
    • 7.8 Fast-Moving Projectiles—Satellites
    • 7.9 Earth Satellites in Circular Orbits
    • 7.10 Satellites in Elliptical Orbits
    • 7.11 Escape Speed—Getting “Out There”
    • 7.12 Gravitation Is Universal
  • Chapter 8: Fluid Mechanics
    • 8.1 Density—A Measure of Compactness
    • 8.2 Pressure—Force per Area
    • 8.3 Buoyancy in a Liquid
    • 8.4 Archimedes’ Principle—Sink or Swim
    • 8.5 Pressure in a Gas
    • 8.6 Atmospheric Pressure Is Due to the Weight of the Atmosphere
    • 8.7 Pascal’s Principle—The Transmission of Pressure in a Fluid
    • 8.8 Buoyancy in a Gas—More Archimedes’ Principle
    • 8.9 Bernoulli’s Principle—Flying With Physics
  • Chapter 9: Heat
    • 9.1 Thermal Energy—The Total Energy in a Substance
    • 9.2 Temperature—Average Kinetic Energy Per Molecule in a Substance
    • 9.3 Absolute Zero—Nature’s Lowest Possible Temperature
    • 9.4 Heat Is the Movement of Thermal Energy
    • 9.5 Specific Heat Capacity— A Measure of Thermal Inertia
    • 9.6 Thermal Expansion
    • 9.7 Conduction—Heat Transfer via Particle Collision
    • 9.8 Convection—Heat Transfer via Movements of Fluid
    • 9.9 Radiation—Heat Transfer via Radiant Energy
    • 9.10 Energy Changes With Changes of Phase
  • Chapter 10: Electricity
    • 10.1 Electric Charge Is a Basic Characteristic of Matter
    • 10.2 Coulomb’s Law—The Force Between Charged Particles
    • 10.3 Charge Polarization
    • 10.4 Electric Current—The Flow of Electric Charge
    • 10.5 An Electric Current Is Produced by Electrical Pressure—Voltage
    • 10.6 Electrical Resistance
    • 10.7 Ohm’s Law—The Relationship Among Current, Voltage, and Resistance
    • 10.8 Electric Shock
    • 10.9 Direct Current and Alternating Current
    • 10.10 Electric Power—The Rate of Doing Work
    • 10.11 Electric Circuits—Series and Parallel
  • Chapter 11: Magnetism
    • 11.1 Magnetic Poles—Attraction and Repulsion
    • 11.2 Magnetic Fields—Regions of Magnetic Influence
    • 11.3 Magnetic Domains—Clusters of Aligned Atoms
    • 11.4 The Interaction Between Electric Currents and Magnetic Fields
    • 11.5 Magnetic Forces Are Exerted on Moving Charges
    • 11.6 Electromagnetic Induction—How Voltage Is Created
    • 11.7 Generators and Alternating Current
    • 11.8 Power Production—A Technological Extension of Electromagnetic Induction
    • 11.9 The Induction of Fields—Both Electric and Magnetic
  • Chapter 12: Waves and Sound
    • 12.1 Special Wiggles—Vibrations and Waves
    • 12.2 Wave Motion—Transporting Energy
    • 12.3 Two Types of Waves—Transverse and Longitudinal
    • 12.4 Sound Travels in Longitudinal Waves
    • 12.5 Sound Can Be Reflected
    • 12.6 Sound Can Be Refracted
    • 12.7 Forced Vibrations and Natural Frequency
    • 12.8 Resonance and Sympathetic Vibrations
    • 12.9 Interference—The Addition and Subtraction of Waves
    • 12.10 The Doppler Effect—Changes in Frequency Due to Motion
    • 12.11 Wave Barriers and Bow Waves
    • 12.12 Shock Waves and the Sonic Boom
  • Chapter 13: Light and Color
    • 13.1 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
    • 13.2 Why Materials Are Either Transparent or Opaque
    • 13.3 Reflection of Light
    • 13.4 Refraction—The Bending of Light Due to Changing Speed
    • 13.5 Illusions and Mirages Are Caused by Atmospheric Refraction
    • 13.6 Color Science
    • 13.7 Mixing Colored Lights
    • 13.8 Mixing Colored Pigments
    • 13.9 Why the Sky Is Blue
    • 13.10 Why Sunsets Are Red
    • 13.11 Why Clouds Are White
  • Chapter 14: Properties of Light
    • 14.1 Light Dispersion and Rainbows
    • 14.2 Lenses
    • 14.3 Image Formation by a Lens
    • 14.4 Diffraction—The Spreading of Light
    • 14.5 Interference—Constructive and Destructive
    • 14.6 Interference Colors by Reflection from Thin Films
    • 14.7 Polarization—Evidence for the Transverse Wave Nature of Light
    • 14.8 Wave-Particle Duality—Two Sides of the Same Coin
  • Chapter 15: The Atom
    • 15.1 Discovering the Invisible Atom
    • 15.2 Elements and the Periodic Table
    • 15.3 The Atomic Nucleus Consists of Protons and Neutrons
    • 15.4 Isotopes and Atomic Mass
    • 15.5 Electron Shells—Regions About the Nucleus Where Electrons Are Located
  • Chapter 16: Nuclear Physics
    • 16.1 Radioactivity—The Disintegration of the Atomic Nucleus
    • 16.2 Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Rays
    • 16.3 Environmental Radiation
    • 16.4 Transmutation of Elements—Changing Identities
    • 16.5 Half-Life Is a Measure of Radioactive Decay Rate
    • 16.6 Isotopic Dating Measures the Ages of Materials
    • 16.7 Nuclear Fission’The breaking Apart of Atomoic Nuclei
    • 16.8 The Mass-Energy Relationship: E = mc2
    • 16.9 Nuclear Fusion—The Combining of Atomic Nuclei
  • Chapter 17: Elements of Chemistry
    • 17.1 Chemistry is Known as the Central Science
    • 17.2 The Submicroscopic World is Super-Small
    • 17.3 The Phase of Matter Can Change
    • 17.4 Matter Has Physical and Chemical Properties
    • 17.5 Determining Physical and Chemical Changes Can Be Difficult
    • 17.6 The Periodic Table Helps Us to Understand the Elements
    • 17.7 Elements Can Combine to From Compounds
    • 17.8 There Is a System for Naming Compounds
  • Chapter 18: Bonds and Molecular Attractions
    • 18.1 Electron-Dot Structures Help Us to Understand Bonding
    • 18.2 Atoms Can Lose or Gain Atoms to Become Ions
    • 18.3 Ionic Bonds Result from a Transfer of Electrons
    • 18.4 Metal Atoms Bond by Losing Their Electrons
    • 18.5 Covalent Bonds Result from a Sharing of Electrons
    • 18.6 Electrons May Be Shared Unevenly in a Covalent Bond
    • 18.7 Electrons Are Shared Unevenly in a Polar Molecule
    • 18.8 Molecules Are Attractive
  • Chapter 19: How Chemicals Mix
    • 19.1 Most Materials Are Mixtures
    • 19.2 The Chemist’s Classification of Matter
    • 19.3 A Solution Is a Single-Phase Homogenous Mixture
    • 19.4 Concentration Is Given as Moles per Liter
    • 19.5 Solubility Measures How Well a Solute Dissolves
    • 19.6 Soap Works by Being Both Polar and Nonpolar
    • 19.7 Purifying the Water We Drink
  • Chapter 20: How Chemicals React
    • 20.1 Chemical Reactions Are Represented by Chemical Equations
    • 20.2 Reaction Rates Can Be Slow or Fast
    • 20.3 Catalysts Speed Up Chemical Reactions
    • 20.4 Chemical Reactions Can Be Either Exothermic or Endothermic
    • 20.5 Chemical Reactions Are Driven By Entropy
  • Chapter 21: Acids/Bases and Redox
    • 21.1 Acids Donate and Bases Accept
    • 21.2 Some Acids and Bases Are Stronger than Others
    • 21.3 Solutions Can Be Acidic, Basic, or Neutrals
    • 21.4 Rainwater Is Acidic and Ocean Water Is Basic
    • 21.5 Oxidation Is the Loss of Electrons and Reduction Is the Gain of Electrons
    • 21.6 The Energy of Flowing Electrons Can Be Harnessed
    • 21.7 Oxygen Is Responsible for Corrosion and Combustion
    • 21.8 Hydrogen Sulfide Can Induce Suspended Animation
  • Chapter 22: Organic Compounds
    • 22.1 Hydrocarbons
    • 22.2 Unsaturated Hydrocarbons
    • 22.3 Functional Groups
    • 22.4 Alcohols and Ethers
    • 22.5 Amines and Alkaloids
    • 22.6 Carbonyl Compounds
    • 22.7 Polymers
  • Chapter 23: The Nutrients of Life
    • 23.1 Biomolecules Are Molecules Produced and Used by Organisms
    • 23.2 Carbohydrates Give Structure and Energy
    • 23.3 Lipids Are Insoluble in Water
    • 23.4 Proteins Are Polymerns of Amino Acids
    • 23.5 Nucleic Acids Code for Proteins
    • 23.6 Vitamins Are Organic, Minerals Are Inorganic
    • 23.7 Metabolism Is the Cylcing of Biomolecules Through the Body
    • 23.8 The Food Pyramid Summarizes a Healthful Diet
  • Chapter 24: Medicinal Chemistry
    • 24.1 Medicines Are Drugs That Benefit the Body
    • 24.2 The Lock-and-Key Model Guides Chemists in Creating New Medicines
    • 24.3 Chemotherapy Cures the Host by Killing the Disease
    • 24.4 The Nervous System Is a Network of Neurons
    • 24.5 Psychoactive Drugs Alter the Mind or Behavior
    • 24.6 Pain Relievers Inhibit the Transmission or Perception of Pain
  • Chapter 25: Rocks and Minerals
    • 25.1 Our Rocky Planet
    • 25.10 The Rock Cycle
    • 25.2 What is a Mineral?
    • 25.3 Mineral Properties
    • 25.4 Classification of Rock-Forming Minerals
    • 25.5 The Formation of Minerals and Rock
    • 25.6 Rocks Are Divided Into Three Main Groups
    • 25.7 Igneous Rocks Form When Magma Cools
    • 25.8 Sedimentary Rocks Blanket Most of Earth’s Surface
    • 25.9 Metamorphic Rocks Are Changed Rocks
  • Chapter 26: The Architecture of Earth
    • 26.1 Earthquakes Make Seismic Waves
    • 26.2 Seismic Waves Reveal Earth’s Internal Layers
    • 26.3 Internal Motion Deforms Earth’s Surface
  • Chapter 27: Plate Tectonics
    • 27.1 Continental Drift—An Idea Before its Time
    • 27.2 Search For the Mechanism to Support Continental Drift
    • 27.3 The Theory of Plate Tectonics
    • 27.4 Three Types of Plate Boundaries
    • 27.5 The Theory That Explains Much
  • Chapter 28: Shaping Earth's Surface
    • 28.1 The Hydrologic Cycle
    • 28.2 Groundwater—Water Below the Surface
    • 28.3 The Work of Groundwater
    • 28.4 Streams and Rivers—Water at Earth’s Surface
    • 28.5 The Work of Surface Water
    • 28.6 Glaciers and Glaciation—Earth’s Frozen Water
    • 28.7 The Work of Glaciers
    • 28.8 The Work of Air
  • Chapter 29: A Brief History of Earth
    • 29.1 Relative Dating—The Placement of Rocks in Order
    • 29.2 Radiometric Dating Reveals the Actual Time of Rock Formation
    • 29.3 Geologic Time
    • 29.4 Precambrian Time—A Time of Hidden Life
    • 29.5 Paleozoic Era—A Time of Life Diversification
    • 29.6 The Mesozoic Era—The Age of Reptiles
    • 29.7 The Cenozoic Era—The Age of Mammals
    • 29.8 Earth History in a Capsule
  • Chapter 30: The Oceans and Atmosphere
    • 30.1 Earth’s Atmosphere and Oceans
    • 30.2 Components of Earth’s Atmosphere
    • 30.3 Solar Energy
    • 30.4 Driving Forces of Air Motion
    • 30.5 Global Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
    • 30.6 Components of Earth’s Oceans
    • 30.7 Oceanic Circulation
  • Chapter 31: Weather
    • 31.1 Water in the Atmosphere
    • 31.2 Weather Variables
    • 31.3 There Are Many Different Clouds
    • 31.4 Air Masses, Fronts, and Storms
    • 31.5 Weather Can Be Violent
    • 31.6 The Weather—Number One Topic of Conversatio
  • Chapter 32: The Solar System
    • 32.1 The Solar System Is Mostly Empty Space
    • 32.2 Solar Systems Form from Nebula
    • 32.3 The Sun Is Our Prime Source of Energy
    • 32.4 The Inner Planets Are Rocky
    • 32.5 The Outer Planets Are Gaseous
    • 32.6 Earth’s Moon
    • 32.7 Failed Planet Formation
  • Chapter 33: Stars
    • 33.1 Observing the Night Sky
    • 33.2 Stars have Different Brightness and Color
    • 33.3 The Hertzburg-Russell Diagram Describes Stars
    • 33.4 The Life Cylce of Stars
    • 33.5 Novae and Supernovae Are Stellar Explosions
    • 33.6 Supergiant Stars Collapse into Black Holes
  • Chapter 34: Galaxies and the Cosmos
    • 34.1 A Galaxy Is an Island of Stars
    • 34.2 Elliptical, Spiral, and Irregular Galaxies
    • 34.3 Active Galaxies Emit Huge Amounts of Energy
    • 34.4 Galaxies Form Clusters and Superclusters
    • 34.5 Galaxies Are Moving Away from One Another
    • 34.6 Further Evidence for the Big Bang
    • 34.7 Dark Matter is Invisible
    • 34.8 Dark Energy Opposes Gravity