Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry of living things. Put another way, biochemistry is the application of chemical concepts and understanding to biological processes. You can probably guess how the name biochemistry was chosen (hint: biology + chemistry = biochemistry). Typically, these biological processes occur at the cellular or molecular level, and biochemists study how those molecules ... »
The atom was originally thought of as the smallest particle in the universe and something that can not be split into smaller pieces. Time has shown both of these things to be untrue, but they are a strong basis from which to begin. The atom as we know today is constructed from three different kinds of subatomic particles, protons, neutrons, and electrons. The former two are what give each atom its... »
What is Berkelium? Berkelium is the 97th element of the periodic table and is a radioactive, unstable element that can form metal like sheets. Berkelium is only made in a lab in very small amounts so there are few commercial applications outside of the realm of scientific research. Berkelium in the Periodic Table Atomic number: 97 Symbol: Bk Group: N/a Period: 7 Number of Protons: 97 Number of Ele... »
What is Astatine? Astatine is the 85th element on the period table and has frequent controversy surrounding its classification. It is denoted by the symbol At. The issues arise from the extreme radioactivity of the element. Some scientists classify astatine as a metalloid, others and a metal, and others yet as a non-metal. The reality of the situation is that a macroscopic sample of astatine canno... »
What is Argon? Argon is part of the 18th group of elements which are known as the noble gases. Noble gases are the last group of elements and are known for being highly unreactive. Until relatively recently it was believed these elements were completely inert, meaning they will react with nothing, but some compounds have been found under extreme conditions. Argon is a colorless and odorless gas, b... »
What is Actinium? Actium is the 89th element on the periodic table and is donned with the symbol Ac. Actinium is the element for which the actinide series is named and all of these elements share common traits such as high levels of radioactivity. The actinide series runs from elements 89-113. Many of these elements cannot be found in nature. Like all actinides, actinium is a metal. It appears sil... »
What is Terbium? Terbium is a solid, silvery metal when it is purified. Like most lanthanide metals, however, it does not exist on Earth in its pure form. It has only one stable isotope and it is found as a minor component of minerals that contain other lanthanide metals. There is no known biological role for terbium and its compounds can be moderately toxic. It is used in a variety of technologic... »
What is Energy? When you hear this word, you probably think of it as the opposite of when you are tired. If you feel wide awake and able to do a lot of physical or mental activities, we say that we “have energy.” In fact, the term energy in science is described as the ability to do work or cause a change. That makes sense, actually, because if you have a lot of energy, you can definitely get some ... »
What is Scandium? Scandium is a soft, silvery transition metal. It reacts slowly in air and can be dissolved in dilute acids. When it reacts with air it produces a yellowish pink layer of tarnish. It reacts to form hydroxides, oxides, and halides, and it usually donates its three electrons. It is commonly used in alloys of aluminum in aircrafts and sporting equipment. Compounds of scandium can be ... »
What is Erbium? Erbium is a lanthanide metal that is solid, silvery-white in its pure form. However, it is not found on Earth in a pure form. Like all rare earth elements, it is always found in minerals that contain other rare earth elements, such as yttrium, terbium, ytterbium, and dysprosium. It has intermediate reactivity. Erbium has no known biological role and is slightly toxic in its pure fo... »