The Lost Elements
Title | The Lost Elements PDF eBook |
Author | Marco Fontani |
Publisher | Oxford University Press, USA |
Total Pages | 577 |
Release | 2015 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 0199383340 |
In the mid-nineteenth century, chemists came to the conclusion that elements should be organized by their atomic weights. However, the atomic weights of various elements were calculated erroneously, and chemists also observed some anomalies in the properties of other elements. Over time, itbecame clear that the periodic table as currently comprised contained gaps, missing elements that had yet to be discovered. A rush to discover these missing pieces followed, and a seemingly endless amount of elemental discoveries were proclaimed and brought into laboratories. It wasn't until thediscovery of the atomic number in 1913 that chemists were able to begin making sense of what did and what did not belong on the periodic table, but even then, the discovery of radioactivity convoluted the definition of an element further. Throughout its formation, the periodic table has seen falseentries, good-faith errors, retractions, and dead ends; in fact, there have been more elemental "discoveries" that have proven false than there are current elements on the table.The Lost Elements: The Shadow Side of Discovery collects the most notable of these instances, stretching from the nineteenth century to the present. The book tells the story of how scientists have come to understand elements, by discussing the failed theories and false discoveries that shaped thepath of scientific progress. Chapters range from early chemists' stubborn refusal to disregard alchemy as legitimate practice, to the effects of the atomic number on discovery, to the switch in influence from chemists to physicists, as elements began to be artificially created in the twentiethcentury. Along the way, Fontani, Costa, and Orna introduce us to the key figures in the development of the periodic table as we know it. And we learn, in the end, that this development was shaped by errors and gaffs as much as by correct assumptions and scientific conclusions.
Cracking the Elements
Title | Cracking the Elements PDF eBook |
Author | Rebecca Mileham |
Publisher | Cassell |
Total Pages | 848 |
Release | 2018-09-06 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 1788400437 |
From the earliest-known elements to those named in 2016, this book takes a comprehensive look at the development of the periodic table - and reveals untold stories, unsung pioneers and plenty of fascinating science along the way. In twelve illustrated chapters, the book makes sense of the patterns and groups within the periodic table, introducing each of the 118 known elements individually and exploring questions including: - Why did the history of fizzy water give early chemistry a sparkle? - How did hydrogen reveal the structure of the atom? - What was the Bunsen burner's role in discovering new elements? - Which of the alkaline earth metals accounts for a kilogramme of your weight? - Why is Marie Curie such a scientific star? - How do tungsten and vanadium explain the secret of super-sharp Syrian swords? - Who discovered the most elements in the periodic table? - What made nihonium, element 113, such a wonderful new year's gift for Japan? - Is glass a liquid or a solid? - How did nitrogen fulfill the alchemists' dream? - Would you have smeared antimony on your face if you'd lived in ancient Egypt? - Why might naked mole rats have clues for surviving a heart attack? - How did the Haya people of Tanzania make steel 1500 years ago? - What makes xenon a great anaesthetic - and why can't all patients use it? - Might there be a pattern in yet undiscovered elements beyond number 118?
The Elements We Live By
Title | The Elements We Live By PDF eBook |
Author | Anja Røyne |
Publisher | The Experiment |
Total Pages | 205 |
Release | 2020-06-09 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 1615196463 |
This “excellent” popular science book explores just what we—and the things around us—are made of (Aftenposten, Norway). Some elements get all the attention: glittering gold, radioactive uranium—materials we call “precious” because they are so rare. But what could be more precious than the building blocks of life—from the oxygen in our air to the carbon in all living things? In The Elements We Live By, physicist and award-winning author Anja Røyne reminds us that we’d be lost without the quiet heroes of the periodic table. Our bodies need phosphorous to hold our DNA together, potassium to power our optic nerves, and many more elements—in just the right amounts—to function. Other fundamental elements keep our technology (and society) running: Our phones contain arsenic, boron, and gallium to control signals and store information; indium and tin for the touch screen; and lithium for the battery. Everything is made of elements—every galaxy, star, and planet—from the iron in Earth’s core to the silicon in its sand. But that doesn’t mean the elements we rely on will never run out; for example, about half the lithium we need is extracted from rocks in Australia, and the other half is from saltwater in Argentina and Chile. As Røyne travels the world to find where these elements exist (some in ever-shrinking amounts), she shows how vitally urgent it is for us to protect them—the elements of our very existence. “Not just a discussion of basic chemistry, this is a volume that looks at the human impact on the planet and what we can learn from nature...Useful for science or sociology courses that address the various impacts of natural resource development or for popular science readers.” —School Library Journal
The Lost Elements
Title | The Lost Elements PDF eBook |
Author | Lara Rosechild |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 282 |
Release | 2014-11-27 |
Genre | |
ISBN | 9781499539899 |
We've all heard and read about vampires, werewolves and witches before. These mythical creatures hold almost no secret to us, because literature has depicted them so much over the past few centuries. But what if they were real? What if there was actually a werewolf standing behind that counter, posing as a normal human being? What if what you thought wasn't possible, actually was?Abby Claire was never one to believe in the fairy tales she was told as a child, much like many other seventeen year olds. She had never second-guessed the little voice in her head that said that magic didn't exist, and that only science held the truth. She never believed in the impossible until the day her house got attacked by foul looking monsters, and her sister got abducted by a mysterious man who is looking for one of the Lost Elements... In a matter of days, Abby has to learn to trust complete strangers and willingly trade her normal life for that of a Nightrealmer, in order to save her family. She is faced with truths that are sometimes too hard to bear, but what other choice does she have than to adapt? The first time Shane laid eyes on Abigail Claire, the word danger rang through his head like the wailing sound of a police siren. He knew from the very beginning that she would be nothing but trouble... And yet, he can't stop himself from being drawn in by those beautiful, intriguing purple eyes of hers. And ruffling the feathers of her mutt of a boyfriend.With the help of others, they must retrieve the Lost Element to save the lives of Abby's family, but will they be able to do that if they can't come together, to paddle in the same direction and reach a common goal?
The Elements
Title | The Elements PDF eBook |
Author | Euclid |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 558 |
Release | 1947 |
Genre | Geometry |
ISBN |
The Disappearing Spoon
Title | The Disappearing Spoon PDF eBook |
Author | Sam Kean |
Publisher | Little, Brown |
Total Pages | 400 |
Release | 2010-07-12 |
Genre | Science |
ISBN | 9780316089081 |
From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, finance, mythology, the arts, medicine, and more, as told by the Periodic Table. Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters?* The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. THE DISAPPEARING SPOON masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery--from the Big Bang through the end of time. *Though solid at room temperature, gallium is a moldable metal that melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit. A classic science prank is to mold gallium spoons, serve them with tea, and watch guests recoil as their utensils disappear.
Euclid's Elements (the Thirteen Books)
Title | Euclid's Elements (the Thirteen Books) PDF eBook |
Author | Euclid |
Publisher | |
Total Pages | 404 |
Release | 2017-12-17 |
Genre | Mathematics |
ISBN | 9781420956474 |
Euclid was a mathematician from the Greek city of Alexandria who lived during the 4th and 3rd century B.C. and is often referred to as the "father of geometry." Within his foundational treatise "Elements," Euclid presents the results of earlier mathematicians and includes many of his own theories in a systematic, concise book that utilized a brief set of axioms and meticulous proofs to solidify his deductions. In addition to its easily referenced geometry, "Elements" also includes number theory and other mathematical considerations. For centuries, this work was a primary textbook of mathematics, containing the only framework for geometry known by mathematicians until the development of "non-Euclidian" geometry in the late 19th century. The extent to which Euclid's "Elements" is of his own original authorship or borrowed from previous scholars is unknown, however despite this fact it was his collation of these basic mathematical principles for which most of the world would come to the study of geometry. Today, Euclid's "Elements" is acknowledged as one of the most influential mathematical texts in history. This volume includes all thirteen books of Euclid's "Elements," is printed on premium acid-free paper, and follows the translation of Thomas Heath.