Chemistry for Beginners

Kristie Pickersgill (Author) Kristie Pickersgill was born and raised in Yorkshire, where she developed a love of animals, nature and the great outdoors. After studying Chemistry at the University of York, she worked as a school lab technician before making the leap into educational publishing.Darran Stobbart (Author) Darran spent a decade as children's bookseller in Durham. They studied crime scene and forensic science at university. It's handier than you'd expect. They collect useless facts, and write about lots of subjects - especially science. They are passionate about stories, music, and will talk about octopuses at great length.

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• Chapters in this book include:IntroductionFind out what chemistry is, and the amazing things chemists have learned to do with it over the centruries.What's the world made of?Discover the basic building blocks of EVERYTHING around you, why they're always changing and how they join together.Journey into an atomThe smallest building block - an atom - is itself made of even smaller parts. Keep track of the 118 atoms we know about so far in a handly chart called the periodic table.Making connectionsChemistry is all about what heppens when atoms connect and make - or break - bonds with each other.Chemical reactionsYou can't see atoms, but how they behave can be spectacular. This is the fizzy, foamy, explosive world of chemical reactions.See, smell, taste, touchSome chemicals have a taste, smell or even a colour. Others form incredible structures and materials. Together they shape your experience of the world.Your bodyChemists are facinated by how the body works, and what to do when it doesn't - from diagnosing diseases to designing medicines.Keeping us safeWhat makes a good or bad chemical? Is there even such a thing? Find out about chemists working to keep us safe.Saving the planetThe Earth's chemical balance is changing. What can chemists do about it?SpaceThe universe is full of chemical secrets - including how our planet and its inhabitants came to be.What's next?What are some of the most exciting things chemists are working on right now? Might you join them one day?