Chemistry

How are elements made? | Wonders of the Universe

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

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...

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...

Helium | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Norman Lockyer recorded a new yellow line by observing the sun through London smog and, assuming the new element to be a metal, named ...

Gallium | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Gallium is in a liquid state over the widest range of temperatures than any other element.

Bunsen Burner | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Robert Bunsen was a German chemist responsible for the invention of the Bunsen Burner.

Periodic Table Overview | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Spec references J248: C2.2i J250: C2.2i. A quick recap of how the periodic table is arranged including groups, period...

Properties of Group 1 Metals | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Spec references J248: C4.1a. Demonstration of reactions of lithium, sodium and potassium with water (Contains hi...

Silicon | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Silicon was discovered by Jöns Jacob Berzelius, a Swedish chemist, in 1824 by heating chips of potassium.

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...

Properties of Potassium | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Spec references J248: C4.1a J250: C4.1a. Professor Jim Al-Khalili describes properties of potassium and some of its u...

Lavoisier's Elements | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Lavoisier was the first scientist to define what an element was.

Oxygen | Chemistry: A Volatile History

The story of how Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen.

Hydrogen | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Cavendish accidentally discovered hydrogen, the first elemental gas, when experimenting with air.

The discovery of phosphorus | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Phosphorus was discovered when Brandt was attempting to isolate gold from his urine.

Mercury | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Mercury is fourteen times heavier than water, and so dense even a steel bolt will float in it.

Atomic Structure - Revision | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J248: C1.2b, C1.2d, C1.2e J250: C1.2b, C1.2d, C1.2e. A fast-paced overview of the basics of atomic struc...

Types of Compounds | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J248: C2.2h J250: C2.2h. An introduction to how elements react to form ionic and covalent compounds, with reference to ...

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...

Arrangement of the Periodic Table | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J248: C2.2a, C2.2b, C2.2c J250: C2.2a, C2.2b, C2.2c. This video explains the arrangement of the periodic...

S2E6: Invisible Worlds | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

Dara and the team shine a light on some of the mysterious and usually hidden worlds surrounding us, from our internal e...

S2E5: Size Matters | Dara O'Briain's Science Club

Dara and the team reveal why size matters in science and how discoveries large and small are changing the way we view the u...

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...

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...

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 ...

Superconductors | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili looks at how, in 1986, IBM researchers discovered a breakthrough regarding superconductivity in cera...

Semiconductors and WWII | Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity

Jim Al-Khalili explains the importance of semiconductors, particularly with regard to fighting WWII.

Carbon bonds | Chemistry: A Volatile History

Scott Cooper was fascinated by how carbon atoms combined with other atoms, inventing the notion of ''bonds''.

Metals and Alloys | Science Fix

Mark Loughlin looks at the science of forensics while in the studio we make a motor and Alison Chappell takes apart a selection of drills.

Introduction to Covalent Bonding | GCSE Bitesize Revision

This video introduces covalent bonding, focusing on electron sharing, the use of dot and cross diagrams, and exampl...

Secrets of the Super Elements

In the first BBC documentary to be filmed entirely on smartphones, Mark Miodownik reveals the weird materials that have built our high-tech world.

Materials: How They Work

Materials scientist Mark Miodownik takes a look into the inner world of metals, ceramics and plastics and the microscopic structure that allows them...

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...

Acids, Bases and Salts | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J248: C3.3d, C3.3e, C3.3f, C3.3h, C4.2a J250: C3.3d, C3.3e, C3.3f, C3.3h, C3.1g. This video introduces acids ...

Reactivity of Group 0, 1 and 7 | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J248: C4.1a. C4.1b J250: C4.1a. C4.1b. A detailed explanation of the reactivity of Group 0, Group 1, and Gr...

Electrolysis | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J248: C3.4a, C3.4b, C3.4c, C3.4d, C3.4e J250: C3.4a, C3.4b, C3.4c, C3.4d, C3.4e. Explanation of how ionic substances ca...

What chemicals to use to achieve certain colours in fireworks | Rocket Science

In this classroom experiment students explore how different chemicals react when burned and le...

Electrolysis | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J248: C3.4a, C3.4b, C3.4c, C3.4d, C3.4e J250: C3.4a, C3.4b, C3.4c, C3.4d, C3.4e. Explanation of how ionic substances ca...

Acids, Bases and Salts | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J248: C3.3d, C3.3e, C3.3f, C3.3h, C4.2a J250: C3.3d, C3.3e, C3.3f, C3.3h, C3.1g. This video introduces acids ...

The race is on | Bitesize Science

The rate of a chemical reaction depends on the temperature, concentration, particle size and any catalysts present.

Measuring the Rate of Reaction | GCSE Bitesize Revision

Spec references J248: C5.2a, C5.2c, C5.2d, C5.2e, C5.2f J250: C5.2a, C5.2c, C5.2d, C5.2e, C5.2f. This video provides ...

Reversible Reactions - the Haber process | GCSE Bitesize Revision

This video provides an overview of ammonia production through the Haber process, briefly touching on the ne...

The Haber Process | Science Topics

Spec references J248: C6.1d. The video starts with an overview of the industrial production of nitrate fertiliser through the Haber proces...

Reversible Reactions | GCSE Bitesize Revision

This video provides examples of reversible chemical reactions and visually explains how dynamic equilibrium is achieved. It int...

Rates of reaction | Curriculum Bites

Spec references J248: C5.2c, C5.2d, C5.2e, C5.2f J250: C5.2c, C5.2d, C5.2e, C5.2f. Introduction to rate of chemical reactions and collis...

Biological Catalysts | Science Topics

The video provides examples of biological catalysis, such as enzyme use in cheese production and human digestion, followed by an explan...

Catalysis Demonstration | Science Topics

Catalysis is demonstrated through the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, including a test for oxygen gas. The clip explains how cat...

Catalysis | Science Topics

Prog looking at catalysts and how they speed up chemical reactions, and how this knowledge is used in industry, farming and modern pollution devic...

Climate refugees | Black Black Oil

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

The future of North Sea Oil | Black Black Oil

How the future of the North Sea Oil rigs are being sold off to foreign state-run companies and what that means for the future o...

Climate change in 50 years | Black Black Oil

Forecasts an extremely bleak future for the children of today where an unrecognisable landscape of the world is shaped by rising...

The world as a hydrocarbon-based infrastructure | Black Black Oil

Oil and gas companies maintain their products are necessary for the world to operate, however that view is ...

Carbon capture | Black Black Oil

Oil and gas companies hold stock in new technologies to capture carbon emissions but there is little evidence to suggest these work or indee...

Carbon Entanglement | Black Black Oil

A description given by Angel Gurria of the OECD denotes the dependence the UK (and the world) has on carbon.

Oil, finance and pensions | Black Black Oil

Investment in oil companies has been at the forefront of pensions for a long period in time but now are returning less equity tha...

The UK's ''oil machine'' | Black Black Oil

How oil from the North Sea is pumped and distributed in the UK.

History of North Sea Oil | Black Black Oil

Oil was discovered in the North Sea in 1970 and its exploitation by private companies has been encouraged by the government ever s...

Greenhouse gases | Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Professor Chris Jackson investigates the key greenhouse gases.

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...

Sustainable cities | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart visits Masdar in Abu Dhabi, a city that relies on renewable energy.

Nuclear energy and Thorium | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart explains how nuclear power works and investigates a new energy source.

Carbon dioxide levels | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart outlines the increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Fracking | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart explains the process of fracking.

Caspian oil | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart investigates the impact of the Caspian oil.

Extracting oil | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart investigates the new technologies with which oil is being discovered and extracted.

North Sea oil | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart investigates the discovery of North Sea oil.

How is oil formed? | Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Professor Iain Stewart explains the natural process in which over millions of years oil is formed.

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.