Chemistry a Volatile History

Episode 3: The Power of the Elements

Name: ___________________________
Mod: ____________________________

Directions: As you watch the video, write the name of the scientist next to his discoveries.

Becquerel Fermi Midgley

Carothers Hahn Rutherford
Chadwick Kekule Tennant
Couper Manhattan Project von Liebig and Wohler
Curie McMillian and Ableson
Diesbach Meitner

1. _______________________
- made the first synthetic pigment (paint)

2. _______________________
- Discovered isomerism (This is when the same number of atoms of the same elements
combine in different ways to make different compounds. This shows that the arrangement of
atoms in compounds is important.)

3. _______________________
- Discovered that diamonds were made of carbon. This was confusing since diamonds are the
hardest know substance and carbon also makes up graphite which is one of the softest
substances.

4. ________________________
- Came up with the idea that links (bonds) between atoms could explain how atoms formed
compounds.

5. ________________________
- Also came up with the idea of chemical bonds. Although he came up with the idea after the
other scientist, he published the idea first and received the credit for the idea.

6. ________________________
- The inventor of Nylon.
 Chemistry a Volatile History
Episode 3: The Power of the Elements
7. ________________________
- Solved the problem of engines from knocking by adding lead to them. Unknown to him, this
will cause many other problems.

8. ________________________
- Discovered radioactivity when he observed that UV light made uranium crystals glow.

9. ________________________
- Studied radioactivity and discovered the elements polonium and radium.

10. _______________________
- Discovered the nucleus of the atom and came to the conclusion that the number of protons in
the nucleus could change through the process of alpha decay.

11. ________________________
- Discovered the neutron

12. ________________________
- Claimed to have made elements heavier than uranium

13. ________________________
- Disproves the above scientists claim of making elements heavier than uranium.

14. ________________________
- Explains Fermis work and recognizes that the uranium atom had split in two (nuclear fission)

15. ________________________
- American research project lead by Oppenheimer and made up of many scientists whose goal
was to make an atomic bomb.

16. ________________________
- Created the first synthetic element. It is not found in nature and is heavier than uranium. They
named it neptunium.