This Catalyst article looks at hydraulic fracking, the process of breaking up rocks deep underground using high-pressure water mixed with sand and chemicals. The process has been used for decades in the energy industry to free oil and gas trapped in rock formations. However, questions have been raised over the...

This article focuses on the practical uses of the element Boron, including its pivotal role in heat conservation, energy conversion and storage....

This multimedia package was developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme to help students understand the interesting and unusual properties of a range of fluids, semi-solids and solids. Published originally as a CD-ROM, the materials contain a collection of...

This Catalyst article looks at how humans are exposed to radiation from many different sources, including food. The article describes the doses of radiation from sources such as:

• building materials and rocks
• bananas
• bone scans
• cosmic rays
• radon gas

The...

This Catalyst article investigates how gold is an important metal which, when extracted from its ore, has useful properties of durability and electrical conductivity. The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review...

This resource, from the Living in a Materials World CD-ROM produced by Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), describes the achievements of some of the physicists and chemists who have contributed to our scientific understanding of the structure and behaviour...

This book from the SISCON series looks at the history of scientific theories, including evidence, prediction and creativity. It asks questions such as: What is it possible to be certain about? Are experts always right?

As the need to find alternative cleaner forms of energy increases, scientists are looking to technologies, such as Hydrogen Fuel Cells (HFCs), as a power source for transportation.

This Catalyst article explains how hydrogen and oxygen gas can be used in a redox reaction to produce electricity, and the...

This resource is based around the chemical composition of the human body and the origin of elements in the universe. Students can input a mass in the spreadsheet to see what proportion of their mass is from elements created in the Big Bang, in stars and in supernovae. Graphs are also shown for the relative...

These resources were developed by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme and the Centre for Science Education at Sheffield Hallam University in order to demonstrate new ways that ICT can be used to enhance practical work in science. Research scientists use computer technology in both the collection and the...

This Catalyst article describes an experiment in which, using a microwave oven, water can be boiled in a cup made of ice, allowing all three states of water to be seen at once. The article explains what equipment needed to carry out the experiment, instructions, and a detailed explanation of why it works.

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Produced by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), this series of resources provide interactive and lively theory sessions for science lessons. Originally produced in the form of CD-Roms and DVDs, the resources can be viewed online. They are intended to stimulate discussion about teaching and learning...

From The Centre for Industry Education Collaboration (CIEC), this guide aims to help schools and science-based companies make the best use of their opportunities to liaise together. It concentrates upon using link activities to enrich aspects of the school science curriculum but there are many principles in the...

Professor Andrew Coates and Dr Ian Hutchinson explain how the ExoMars instruments, the Pancam and Raman spectroscopy instruments can be combined to help scientists identify areas of interest on the surface of Mars.  The video shows how field trips are important to learn first-hand the challenges that the ExoMars...