In this video excerpt from NOVA's "Hunting the Elements," New York Times technology columnist David Pogue investigates chemical reactions involving sodium. Find out how the electron configuration of ...

Eric Scerri, a UCLA chemistry lecturer, has written at least six books discussing the orientation of the periodic table. His office is cluttered with posters and three-dimensional models of different ...

The number of electrons in the element's outer shell hugely influences reactivity. If the outer electron shell is full then an additional chemical bond cannot be formed because there is no room. Inert ...

Metals react differently. Some are very reactive and others are unreactive. Observations of reactions can be used to put metals into an order of reactivity. For example, copper is unreactive so it can ...

The periodic table arranges all the chemical elements in a specific way. Patterns are visible in the way that elements behave, and this allows us to make predictions about other elements. Gethin: And ...