Chemists in a social and historical context: The atom detectives

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This resource presents chemists as real people and not stereotypical ‘mad scientists’ whose lives are completely dominated by science.

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The atom detectives
Handout | PDF, Size 0.19 mb
How to use this resource
Tutorial | PDF, Size 61.95 kb

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Level

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Specification

Northern Ireland
- GCSE
  - CCEA Chemistry
    - How Science Works
      - understand how scientific methods and theories develop over time;
    - Unit 1: Structures, Trends, Chemical Reactions, Quantitative Chemistry and Analysis
      - 1.1 Atomic structure
        1.1.1 demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how ideas about the atom changed over time, with reference to: the Plum Pudding model; Rutherford’s model of a nucleus surrounded by electrons; and the discovery of the neutron by Chadwick, leading to…
  - CCEA Double award science
    - How Science Works
      - understand how scientific methods and theories develop over time;
Republic of Ireland
- Leaving Certificate
  - Chemistry
    - 1. Periodic table and atomic structure
      - 1.2 Atomic Structure
        Depth of treatment
        Properties of electrons, protons and neutrons (relative mass, relative charge, location within atom).
        Atomic number (Z ), mass number (A ), isotopes; hydrogen and carbon as examples of isotopes.
        Social and Applied Aspects
        Very brief outline of the historical development of atomic theory (outline principles only; mathematical treatment not required): Dalton: atomic theory;
        Thomson: negative charge of the electron;
        Rutherford: discovery of the nucleus as shown by the α−particle scattering experiment;
        Bohr: model of the atom;
        Chadwick: discovery of the neutron.
      - 1.4 Electronic Structure of Atoms
        Depth of treatment
        Organisation of particles in atoms of elements nos 1 - 20 (numbers of electrons in each main energy level).
- Junior Cycle
  - Science
    - The nature of science
      - Understanding about science
        1. Appreciate how scientists work and how ideas are modified over time.
England
- A/AS level
  - AQA Chemistry
    - Physical Chemistry
      - Atomic structure
        Fundamental particles
        Appreciate that knowledge and understanding of atomic structure has evolved over time.
- GCSE
Wales
- GCSE
  - WJEC Combined science
    - Working scientifically
      - 1. Development of scientific thinking
        understand how scientific methods and theories develop over time
  - WJEC Chemistry
    - Working scientifically
      - 1. Development of scientific thinking
        understand how scientific methods and theories develop over time

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