Plutonium | Chemistry: A Volatile History

2: The Order of the Elements | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Professor Jim Al-Khalili looks at how the early scientists' bid to decode the order of the elements was driven b...

Episode 3 | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered The World

Professor Iain Stewart examines the situation in the 21st century, at which point the global consumption of oil...

Episode 1 | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered The World

From the moment we first drilled for oil, we opened a Pandora's box that changed the world forever. It transfor...

Ceramics | How It Works

Professor Mark Miodownik looks at how simple clay, sand and rock can be changed into pottery, glass and concrete to build cities and transform the wa...

1: Discovering the Elements | Chemistry: A Volatile History

The story of how the elements were discovered and mapped begins with the alchemists who questioned that the world...

Plastic | How It Works

Mark Miodownik shows how plastics have brought luxury to the masses and reveals how the next generation will take its inspiration from nature and coul...

Carbon capture and storage | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart investigates CCS, a process that is attempting to reduce carbon dioxide...

Climate refugees | Black Black Oil

Hundreds of millions of people are expected to migrate from their countries by 2050 due to rising sea levels.

3: The Power of the Elements | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Jim Al-Khalili reveals the breakthroughs which harnessed elements' ability to release vast power, showing how sc...

Fracking | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart explains the process of fracking.

Production of Plastic from Crude Oil | Real World Chemistry

Spec references J248: C6.2m, C6.2n, C6.2o J250: C6.1k, C6.1l, C6.1m. This clip demonstrates how plastic is produc...

Atomic Structure - Building an Atom | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J248: C1.2b, C1.2d, C1.2e J250: C1.2b, C1.2d, C1.2e. How can an atom be completely described by the in...

Carbon footprint of a loaf of bread | Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Dr Tara Shine discusses the carbon emissions from the process of baking a loaf of bread.

Chemical calculations | GCSE Bitesize Revision

This video provides an overview of how the masses of subatomic particles are used to calculate atomic masses. It then explains...

Electrolysis - Discovery of Potassium | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J248: C3.4b J250: C3.4b. Professor Jim Al-Khalili recreates the electrolysis experiment that lead to...

Endothermic and exothermic reactions | Bitesize Science

Endothermic reactions absorb heat, while exothermic reactions give off heat.

Episode 2 | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered The World

Professor Iain Stewart looks back at the 1950s, a time when the oil and gas fields of the Middle East became a ...

How are elements made? | Wonders of the Universe

Brian Cox explains what elements are and how they are formed, including the importance of carbon.

Mendelleev's Periodic Table | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Spec references J248: C2.2i J250: C2.2i. An account of how Mendeleev arranged the elements by atomic mass to crea...

Metal | How It Works

Mark Miodownik traces the history of our love affair with metal. He investigates metals at the atomic level and sees how metal crystals can be grown to ...