Fascinating Chemistry

Fascinating EducationLearn the four ways that atoms bond to each other to create molecules, and how each bond helps determine the properties of the resulting molecule. Learn how these special molecular properties explain our everyday world — from water freezing to nuclear energy to food to metals to weather, and more.
SAMPLE FASCINATING CHEMISTRY LESSON
Click on a lesson below for more information

Cumulative Tests begin at Unit 3

Unit 1: The Solar System

Unit 1: The Solar System

    Chapter 1: Where are we on the earth?

  • Where is the equator?
  • What continents does the equator run through?
  • Chapter 2: Why are there four seasons?

  • Why does the sun move across the sky?
  • The earth’ tilt
  • Chapter 3: The solar system

  • The planets

Unit 2: The Atom

Unit 2: The Atom

    Chapter 1: Conceptualizing the atom

  • Where does coal come from?
  • What do you call the smallest piece of coal that can possibly exist and still be coal?
  • Resembling the solar system
  • Chapter 2: Structure of the atom

  • Nucleus
  • Electrons
  • Shells
  • Chapter 3: Comparing atoms

  • Carbon vs. aluminum
  • Size of an atom vs. an atom’s weight

Unit 3: Electrons, Protons, and Neutrons

Unit 3: Electrons, Protons, and Neutrons

    Chapter 1: The electron

  • Removing an electron from an atom
  • van der Graaf generator
  • Allowing electrons to flow into your body
  • Chapter 2: Properties of electrons

  • Electrons have a negative electrical charge on them
  • Negatively charged electrons always repel each other
  • Why do electrons orbit together instead of repelling each other?
  • Chapter 3: The nucleus

  • Positive charge in the nucleus
  • Number of proteins equals number of electrons
  • Protons, like electrons, repel each other
  • Why do protons stay together in the nucleus?
  • The “strong force”
  • The neutron
  • Atoms with different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus are called isotopes.

Unit 4: The Periodic Table

Unit 4: The Periodic Table

    Chapter 1: Organizing all the different atoms

  • The periodic table
  • Mendeleyev
  • Hydrogen
  • Helium
  • Lithium
  • The complete periodic table
  • The most common atoms in our bodies
  • Chapter 2: The atomic number

  • Atomic number: the number of electrons and protons in each atom
  • Carbon
  • Chapter 3: Structure of the periodic table

  • Each horizontal row of the periodic table indicates the number of shells
  • Each column indicates the number of electrons in the outermost ring
  • What determines atomic size?
  • Chapter 4: Elements

  • Why is each atom called an element?
  • Combining elements

Unit 5: The Molecule

Unit 5: The Molecule

    Chapter 1: Bonding atoms

  • Examples of common molecules
  • Everything is made up of single atoms or molecules

Unit 6: The Equal Sharing Bon

Unit 6: The Equal Sharing Bon

    Chapter 1: Filling up the outer shell

  • In the first shell, up to 2 electrons are allowed to orbit the nucleus
  • In the second shell, up to 8 electrons are allowed to orbit the nucleus
  • The electrons in shell 2 have more energy than the electrons in shell 1
  • Once 8 electrons enter shell 3, the next electron must enter ring 4
  • Chapter 2: Two hydrogen atoms sharing electrons to fill shell 1

    Chapter 3: The law of entropy

    Chapter 4: The four ways atoms bond to each other

  • Equal sharing
  • Give and take
  • Unequal sharing
  • Metallic

Unit 7: Ring 2 of the Periodic Table

Unit 7: Ring 2 of the Periodic Table

    Chapter 1: Elements in the second row of the periodic table

    Chapter 2: The give-and-take (ionic) bond

  • Lithium fluoride

Unit 8: Row 3 of the Periodic Table

Unit 8: Row 3 of the Periodic Table

    Chapter 1: Combining elements in row 3 of the periodic table

    Chapter 2: Comparing strength of the ionic bond

    Chapter 3: Chemical properties of elements in the same column of the periodic table

Unit 9: Why Atoms Bond

Unit 9: Why Atoms Bond

    Chapter 1: Creating electrical differences

  • Ionic bond
  • Covalent bond

Unit 10: States of Matter

Unit 10: States of Matter

    Chapter 1: Solids, liquids, and gases

    Chapter 2: Crystal lattice

  • The formula unit
  • Chapter 3: The covalent bond

  • Electrical neutrality
  • Formation of gases
  • Chapter 3: Partial electrical difference

  • Formation of liquids
  • Chapter 4: Intermolecular vs. intramolecular bond

  • Strength of the intermolecular bond

Unit 11: Crystals

Unit 11: Crystals

    Chapter 1: Breaking intermolecular bonds

  • Heat energy
  • Mechanical energy
  • Chapter 2: Cracking a crystal

    Chapter 3: Breaking metallic bonds

Unit 12: The Metallic Bond

Unit 12: The Metallic Bond

    Chapter 1: Formation of the metallic bond

    Chapter 2: Properties of the metallic bond

    Chapter 3: Strength of the metallic bond

    Chapter 4: Alloys

Unit 13: Transition Metals

Unit 13: Transition Metals

    Chapter 1: Gold

    Chapter: Formation of the transition metals

    Chapter 3: Properties of transition metals

Unit 14: Heat Conduction

Unit 14: Heat Conduction

    Chapter 1: Heat conduction in metals

    Chapter 2: Measuring heat

  • Graphing heat and molecular movement
  • Chapter 3: Scales to measure heat

  • Kelvin scale
  • Celsius scale
  • Fahrenheit scale
  • Chapter 4: Why metals feel cold

    Chapter 5: Heat conduction in alloys

    Chapter 6: Chill factor

  • Hypothermia

Unit 15: Heat Insulation

Unit 15: Heat Insulation

    Chapter 1: Heat transfer

    Chapter 2: Preventing heat transfer

    Chapter 3: Examples of insulation

Unit 16: The Polar Covalent Bond

Unit 16: The Polar Covalent Bond

    Chapter 1: The water molecule

    Chapter 2: Water’s intermolecular bond

Unit 17: Properties of Water

Unit 17: Properties of Water

    Chapter 1: Examples of everyday phenomena

  • Rainbows
  • Ice expansion
  • Ice floating
  • Water beading
  • Frozen over lakes
  • Sweating
  • Water and oil
  • Soap
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Salt and ice
  • Walking on water
  • Steam engines
  • Water climbing in trees
  • Chapter 2: States of water

  • Steam
  • Water vapor
  • Ice

Unit 18: Water Density and Hydraulic

Unit 18: Water Density and Hydraulic

    Chapter 1: Determining density

    Chapter 2: Ice density

    Chapter 3: Water displacement

  • Salt water vs. fresh water
  • Why ships float
  • Why ships sink
  • Chapter 4: Frozen lakes

  • Water temperature beneath the ice
  • Salt water density
  • Chapter 5: Water pressure

  • Hydraulic pressure

Unit 19: The Mole

Unit 19: The Mole

    Chapter 1: Lowering the freezing point of water

    Chapter 2: Measuring out equal numbers of molecules

  • Atomic weight
  • Weighted average
  • Avogadro’s number
  • Chapter 3: Dissolving solutes in water

    Chapter 4: How does salt melt ice?

Unit 20: Ocean Circulation

Unit 20: Ocean Circulation

    Chapter 1: Ice is pure water

    Chapter 2: North Atlantic ice caps

  • The engine for ocean circulation
  • How Europe stays warm
  • Chapter 3: Global warming and ocean circulation

Unit 21: Air Pressure

Unit 21: Air Pressure

    Chapter 1: Why does water boil?

  • Why 212 degrees Fahrenheit?
  • Air pressure
  • Effect of air pressure on boiling point
  • Chapter 2: Measuring altitude with air pressure

  • The aneroid barometer
  • Chapter 3: Air temperature at high elevations

  • The difference between temperature and heat
  • The temperature of outer space

Unit 22: Why Airplanes Fly

Unit 22: Why Airplanes Fly

    Chapter 1: Airplane wing

  • Design of the Wright Brothers’ airplane
  • Lowering air pressure by raising air pressure below the wing
  • Why pilots lower the flaps when coming in for a landing
  • Chapter 2: Sails

  • Why baseballs curve downward
  • Why golf balls have dimples
  • Chapter 3: Reducing air pressure in a pipe

  • Chimney
  • Carburetor
  • Perfume bottles
  • Prairie dog burrows

Unit 23: Evaporation and Steam

Unit 23: Evaporation and Steam

    Chapter 1: Absorption of heat by water

  • Water as a fire extinguisher
  • Sweating
  • Wet bulb – dry bulb measure of humidity
  • Chapter 2: The power of steam

  • Steam locomotives
  • Underground geysers
  • Geothermal energy
  • Chapter 3: Geology

  • Tectonic plates
  • Formation of the Himalayan Mountain Range
  • The Pacific and North American plates

Unit 24: Humidity, Dew Point, Saturation Water

Unit 24: Humidity, Dew Point, Saturation Water

    Chapter 1: Water vapor

  • Saturation limit
  • Chapter 2: Measuring humidity

  • Graphing humidity versus temperature
  • Saturation water vapor density
  • Humidity vs. relative humidity
  • The dew point
  • Chapter 3: Coriolis effect.

Unit 25: Weather

Unit 25: Weather

    Chapter 1: The weather map

  • Low pressure
  • High pressure
  • Chapter 2: Storm formation

    Chapter 3: Formation of a hurricane.

Unit 26: Properties of Water

Unit 26: Properties of Water

    Chapter 1: Surface tension

  • Water droplets
  • Gerris bug
  • Chapter 2: Hydrogen bonding

    Chapter 3: van der Waals forces

  • Making gases into liquids
  • Chapter 4: The carbon-hydrogen bond

  • Electronegativity of atoms
  • Chapter 5: Making gases into liquids

    Chapter 6: Mixing polar and non-polar molecules

Unit 27: Summation

Unit 27: Summation

    Chapter 1: The four types of intramolecular bonds

  • Give-and-take (ionic)
  • Equal sharing (covalent)
  • Unequal sharing (polar covalent)
  • Metallic.
  • Chapter 2: The intermolecular bonds

  • Polar vs. nonpolar molecules
  • Hydrogen bonding
  • Van der Waals bonding

Unit 28: Creating a Living Cell

Unit 28: Creating a Living Cell

    Chapter 1: Carbon as the building block

    Chapter 2: The four types of biologic molecules

  • Lipids for cell wall
  • Carbohydrates for energy
  • Proteins for growth
  • DNA to coordinate
  • Chapter 3: Lipids

    Chapter 4: Carbohydrates

  • Aldehydes
  • Ketones
  • Ethers
  • Carboxylic acids
  • Esters

Unit 29: Acids, Carbohydrates, and Proteins

Unit 29: Acids, Carbohydrates, and Proteins

    Chapter 1: What are acids?

    Chapter 2: The mathematics of pH

    Chapter 3: Carbohydrates

  • ATP
  • Carbohydrates as fuel
  • Chapter 4: Proteins

Unit 30: Nucleic Acids, Energy Production

Unit 30: Nucleic Acids, Energy Production

    Chapter 1: RNA

    Chapter 2: DNA

  • RNA polymerase
  • Messenger RNA
  • Transfer RNA
  • Chapter 3: Mitochondria

  • Kreb’s cycle
  • Electron transport chain
  • Chapter 4: Chloroplasts

  • Photosynthesis
  • Chapter 5: Lipids as energy source

  • Fats vs. oils
  • Saturated fats vs. unsaturated fats
  • Trans vs. cis fatty acids

Unit 31: Electromagnetic Radiation

Unit 31: Electromagnetic Radiation

    Chapter 1: The Photon

  • Electrical and magnetic components
  • Chapter 2: Spectrum of Electromagnetic Radiation

  • Color
  • Why are metals shiny?
  • Why are objects black?
  • Why are objects transparent?
  • Chapter 3: Bending light rays

  • Passing through water

Unit 32: Electricity

Unit 32: Electricity

    Chapter 1: Movement of electrons

    Chapter 2: Static electricity

    Chapter 3: Electricity and magnetism

    Chapter 4: Making an electric motor

    Chapter 5: Making an electrical generator

Unit 33: Nuclear Energy

Unit 33: Nuclear Energy

    Chapter 1: Nuclear fusion

  • Nuclear fusion on the sun
  • Chapter 2: Mass and energy

    Chapter 3: Life and death of stars

    Chapter 4: Nuclear fission

    Chapter 5: Dangers of radiation

Unit 34: Introductory Math

Unit 34: Introductory Math

    Chapter 1: Significant Digits

    Chapter 2: Rounding Off

    Chapter 3: Logs and Decimals

    Chapter 4: Fractions

    Chapter 5: Converting Units

Unit 35: I Know – Therefore Statements

Unit 35: I Know – Therefore Statements

    Chapter 1: Problems

    Chapter 2: Converting units

    Chapter 3: Terminology

    Chapter 4: Metric system

Unit 36: Chemical Reactions

Unit 36: Chemical Reactions

    Chapter 1: Definitions

    Chapter 2: Catalysts

    Chapter 3: Balancing chemical equations

Unit 37: Gases, Equilibrium

Unit 37: Gases, Equilibrium

    Chapter 1: Coulomb’s law

    Chapter 2: Ideal gas law

    Chapter 3: Solving gas problems

    Chapter 4: Electrolysis

    Chapter 5: Equilibrium of a chemical reaction

  • LeChatelier’s principle
  • Equilibrium constant
  • Solubility product constant
  • Equilibrium state
  • Phase diagrams

Unit 38: Solutions

Unit 38: Solutions

    Chapter 1: Terminology

    Chapter 2: Molarity problems

    Chapter 3: Mixtures

  • Suspensions
  • Colloids
  • Emulsions
  • Chapter 4: Colligative properties

    Chapter 5: Acids

  • Arrhenius acid
  • Bronsted acid
  • Lowry acid
  • Lewis acid

Unit 39: Nuclear Force

Unit 39: Nuclear Force

    Chapter 1: Nuclear strong force

    Chapter 2: Binding energies

    Chapter 3: Nuclear decay

    Chapter 4: Half lives

    Chapter 5: Carbon dating

Unit 40 Electrolytes

Unit 40 Electrolytes

    Chapter 1: Oxidation state

    Chapter 2: Measuring an atom’s attraction to electrons

  • Electronegativity
  • Electron affinity
  • Ionization energy
  • Reduction potential
  • Chapter 3: Voltage potential differences

    Chapter 4: Voltage and current

    Chapter 5: Electroplating

    Chapter 6: Oxidation and reduction

Unit 41: Polymer

Unit 41: Polymer

    Chapter 1: Bakelite

    Chapter 2: Polyethylene

    Chapter 3: Polypeptides

Unit 42: Orbital

Unit 42: Orbital

    Chapter 1: Orbitals

    Chapter 2: Energy levels

    Chapter 3: Hund’s rule

    Chapter 4: Ionizing energies

    Chapter 5: Hybrids

    Chapter 6: VESPR

  • Why Fascinating?

    Fascinating Education Approach

    Fascinating Education Approach

    • assumes students know absolutely nothing about chemistry, biology or physics,
    • slices the information very thin,
    • presents the material slowly and clearly,
    • follows a story line,
    • continually shows how chemistry, biology and physics explain or solve some real life observation or problem, and
    • deemphasizes terminology.

    Fascinating Education is Unique

    Fascinating Education is Unique

    Fascinating Education uses a right hemispheric “logic-limbic” approach: instead of the usual written text with explanatory illustrations. Fascinating Education:
    • focuses on scientific facts,
    • eliminates the complexity of science into its essentials, and
    • ensures student mastery of subject matter with periodic tests aligning with national science standards.

    Appeal of Fascinating Education

    Appeal of Fascinating Education

    Students will love learning science using the Fascinating Education method with pictures and attached audio – relating to real life. They can actually see how science works in vivid color, instead of just reading about it!

     

  • Dr. Margulies’ Books Include:

    The Fascinating Body

    The Fascinating Body

    A fun and informative look at how the body works and how to keep it working
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    Everyday Doctoring

    Everyday Doctoring

    A textbook on medical and neurologic physical diagnosis

    Purchase From Author

    Learning Law

    Learning Law

    Coauthor of Learning Law: The Mastery of Legal Logic, a textbook outlining legal reasoning.

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    Articles

    Articles

    Dr. Margulies has also published articles concerning the post concussion syndrome and its causes; the medical evidence for and against the diagnosis of brain damage following mild head injuries; the Supreme Court’s 1993 decision in Daubert concerning the trial court’s role in excluding junk science from the courtroom; and the applicability of Daubert to the use of differential diagnosis and neuropsychological testing in proving claims of brain damage.