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Listen&Learn: Absorption Lines

15th November 2023 by Jaksyn Peacock

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • prism: a glass object that splits white light into colours
  • spectrum: the range of colours that a prism reveals
  • block: to hide something from view
  • particle: a tiny piece of something
  • element: one of the basic chemicals found on the periodic table
  • random: happening without a pattern or reason
  • unique: specific to one person or thing

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

In 1814, a German physicist named Joseph von Fraunhofer passed from the Sun through a prism to create a colour spectrum. He noticed that there were dark blocking out certain colours in the spectrum. Today, scientists call these lines absorption lines. Absorption lines happen when particles of light, called photons, move through a cool . The atoms and molecules in the gas absorb some of the photons and block certain colours of light. When an atom absorbs a photon, it shows up as a dark line in the colour spectrum. The photons that get absorbed are not random. Every element absorbs specific wavelengths of light, which means that every element also has a unique of absorption lines. Scientists can study these lines to find out which are present in stars and planets.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. Joseph von Fraunhofer discovered that
    a. passing light through a prism would create a rainbow
    b. light could behave as a particle
    c. there were dark lines in the colour spectrum made by the Sun
  2. Absorption lines happen when
    a. a cool gas absorbs photons
    b. a hot gas releases photons
    c. photons pass through empty space
  3. Scientists can study absorption lines to find out
    a. the masses of stars
    b. the distances between stars
    c. the chemicals present in stars

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Do you know any interesting facts about light? What optical illusions or “tricks of the light” have you seen?

Transcript

In 1814, a German physicist named Joseph von Fraunhofer passed light from the Sun through a prism to create a colour spectrum. He noticed that there were dark lines blocking out certain colours in the spectrum. Today, scientists call these lines absorption lines. Absorption lines happen when particles of light, called photons, move through a cool gas. The atoms and molecules in the gas absorb some of the photons and block certain colours of light. When an atom absorbs a photon, it shows up as a dark line in the colour spectrum. The photons that get absorbed are not random. Every element absorbs specific wavelengths of light, which means every element also has a unique pattern of absorption lines. Scientists can study these lines to find out which chemicals are present in stars and planets.

Answers to comprehension questions

1c 2a 3c

Listen&Learn: How Elements Are Made

6th September 2023 by Jaksyn Peacock
atom visualisation

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • element: one of the basic substances found on the periodic table
  • abundant: existing in large amounts
  • core: the centre of a planet or star
  • fuse: to create something new by joining multiple things together
  • collapse: to violently fall inward
  • dense: containing a lot of material in a very small area
  • remnant: a leftover piece of something that has been destroyed

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

The simplest chemical elements in the , hydrogen and helium, originally formed during the Big Bang. These are the most abundant elements out there. The cores of stars can make more helium through a process called nuclear fusion, where enough energy forces the centres of atoms together to make more atoms. Other light elements, like oxygen and carbon, also originate from this process. Iron is the heaviest element that a star can fuse. This usually happens near the very end of the star’s life. There are two ways that elements are made. The first is when stars, especially massive stars, collapse and die. The second is in a collision between two extremely dense star remnants, called neutron stars. These events create enough to fuse elements like lead and .

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. The most abundant elements in the universe are
    a. hydrogen and helium
    b. hydrogen and carbon
    c. helium and oxygen
  2. During its life, a star can’t use nuclear fusion to create
    a. helium
    b. iron
    c. gold
  3. Heavy elements can be made in a collision between two
    a. planets
    b. comets
    c. neutron stars

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Scientists are beginning to experiment with nuclear fusion as a possible power source. Current nuclear power plants use a process called nuclear fission, which does not produce as much energy. What do you think about nuclear power? Do you think it will help or harm the environment? Why?

Transcript

The simplest chemical elements in the universe, hydrogen and helium, originally formed during the Big Bang. These are the most abundant elements out there. The cores of stars can make more helium through a process called nuclear fusion, where enough energy forces the centres of atoms together to make more complex atoms. Other light elements, like oxygen and carbon, also originate from this process. Iron is the heaviest element that a star can fuse. This usually happens near the very end of the star’s life. There are two ways that heavier elements are made. The first is when stars, especially massive stars, collapse and die. The second is in a collision between two extremely dense star remnants, called neutron stars. These events create enough energy to fuse elements like lead and gold.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2c 3c

Listen&Learn: The Periodic Table

21st September 2022 by Jaksyn Peacock
Periodic Table

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • classify: to sort something into a group
  • element: a substance made up of one kind of atom
  • property: a trait or characteristic of something
  • outlier: something that doesn’t follow an expected pattern
  • subatomic: smaller than an atom
  • orbit: to move in circles around something
  • nucleus: the centre of an atom

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

The periodic is a system that scientists use to and classify chemical elements. Originally, many scientists tried to sort the elements by properties. One of the early models of the periodic table sorted elements by atomic weight, which naturally grouped elements with properties together. However, certain elements were outliers, and did not fit in their groups. In 1898, a scientist named J.J. Thomson discovered the electron, a subatomic particle with a charge. Later, in 1911, a scientist named Ernest Rutherford learned that electrons orbit a nucleus, which makes up most of the atom’s mass. Inside the nucleus, there are protons, which have a positive charge. An atom has an number of electrons and protons. This number became known as an element’s atomic number. Today, elements on the periodic table are arranged by atomic number, which gives a more accurate understanding of element properties.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

  1. An early model of the periodic table sorted elements by
    a. atomic number
    b. atomic weight
    c. number of subatomic particles
  2. The first subatomic particle to be discovered was
    a. the electron
    b. the proton
    c. the neutron
  3. A proton has
    a. a positive charge
    b. a negative charge
    c. no charge

Discussion/essay questions

  1. Even though scientists did not yet understand subatomic particles, the early model that put elements in order of atomic weight still naturally grouped similar atoms together. Why do you think this is? Do you know any other historical examples of humans finding patterns that they didn’t understand?

Transcript

The periodic table is a system that scientists use to organize and classify chemical elements. Originally, many scientists tried to sort the elements by properties. One of the early models of the periodic table arranged elements by atomic weight, which naturally grouped elements with similar properties together. However, certain elements were outliers, and did not fit in their groups. In 1898, a scientist named J.J. Thomson discovered the electron, a subatomic particle with a negative charge. Later, in 1911, a scientist named Ernest Rutherford learned that electrons orbit a nucleus, which makes up most of the atom’s mass. Inside the nucleus, there are protons, which have a positive charge. An atom has an equal number of electrons and protons. This number became known as an element’s atomic number. Today, elements on the periodic table are arranged by atomic number, which gives a more accurate understanding of element properties.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2a 3a

Listen&Learn: Nuclear Fusion

15th December 2021 by Jaksyn Peacock
nuclear fusion

Pre-listening vocabulary

  • reaction: a process where a substance undergoes a change
  • nucleus: the central part of an atom
  • electron: a small charged particle that moves around the outside of an atom
  • convert: to change something into something else
  • fuse: to join together
  • hydrogen: the lightest chemical element
  • replicate: to recreate something

Listening activity

Gapfill exercise

Nuclear fusion is a type of reaction that turns one chemical element into another. The Sun and other use nuclear fusion as a form of power. In high enough , the nucleus of an atom can be separated from its electrons. The heat causes the nucleus to move very quickly. When two nuclei come close enough to each other, they fuse, forming a larger nucleus. This method allows stars to convert hydrogen atoms into helium atoms, and even more atoms after that. Nuclear fusion is a difficult to replicate on Earth, because it requires a lot of heat and pressure. However, many research groups around the world hope to find a way to use it as an source.

Comprehension questions

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Discussion/essay questions

  1. Scientists are interested in nuclear fusion because it would be a clean and powerful energy source. Unlike the type of nuclear power we use today, nuclear fusion would not create dangerous waste. Can you think of any potential disadvantages to this type of energy?

Transcript

Nuclear fusion is a type of reaction that turns one chemical element into another. The Sun and other stars use nuclear fusion as a form of power. In high enough temperatures, the nucleus of an atom can be separated from its electrons. The heat causes the nucleus to move very quickly. When two nuclei come close enough to each other, they fuse, forming a larger nucleus. This method allows stars to convert hydrogen atoms into helium atoms, and even more complex atoms after that. Nuclear fusion is a difficult process to replicate on Earth, because it requires a lot of heat and pressure. However, many research groups around the world hope to find a way to use it as an energy source.