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Audio

Mercury is released as coal is burnt in power stations

This resource describes research into environmental disease resulting from the heavy metal mercury. It is estimated 60,000 babies are born each year in the United States with mercury-related diseases from the burning of coal in power stations. World wide, this is a significant problem. Mercury also enters the environment ...

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Acid Base Reactions

Students use this resource consisting of eleven slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand that different bases react with acids and how word and chemical equations summarise the reactions. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

Video

Argo floats

This minute video segment from Catalyst decade ago describes the Australian initiative, Argo, that has become a major international collaborative project to look at the world's oceans and help understand processes at depth - monitoring the pulse of the global heat balance and giving us vital information on the ocean's role ...

Video

Structures and Bonding

This simulation allows students to explore the chemical reactions between hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and chlorine. They can form water, carbon dioxide, hydrochloric acid, ammonia and methane. Word and chemical equations are provided. The diagrams distinguish single, double and triple bonds and shapes of molecules.

Interactive

Making a Salt Using an Acid and an Alkali

Students use this resource consisting of seven slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand how to prepare a neutral salt sample using an acid and an alkali. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

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Science Talk 2007: Jeremy Leggett

An interview with Dr Jeremy Leggett, global environmental expert from Solarcentury in the UK. Jeremy talks to a teacher from Leumeah High School about global warming, fossil fuels and the design of carbon neutral buildings.

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pH scale

Students use this resource consisting of eight slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand that pH is a measure of the strength of an acid or alkali and how to interpret the colours of universal indicator solution. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

Interactive

Acids and Alkalis

Students use this resource consisting of five slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand how to use indicators to classify solutions as acidic or alkaline. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

Video

Water recycling

This 11 minute video segment from Catalyst provides an excellent explanation of the processes involved in recycling sewage for an urban water supply. It also provides a range of opinions and concerns in an excellent debate on the topic.

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Biodiversity and farming for a healthy planet

This is a digital resource containing information and resources, such as printable games, that relate to biodiversity and farming, and how food and materials can be produced while protecting the Earth's natural resources. It includes an extensive glossary of important terms, and external links to teacher and student resources ...

Video

ABC News: Hydrogen-diesel engine

How might we reduce damaging emissions from diesel engines and increase their fuel efficiency at the same time? Watch as Dr Vishi Karri from the University of Tasmania describes the development of a new type of engine: the hybrid hydrogen-diesel engine. Dr Hafez A Hafez explains how the technology can be easily adapted ...

Video

Bryozoans' role in the ecosystem

This is a colour video clip of marine scientist Associate Professor Abby Smith discussing the role bryozoans play in marine ecosystems. The clip shows Abby Smith, a teacher and researcher at the University of Otago, New Zealand, being interviewed. The clip also shows underwater photos of bryozoans, fish and corals.

Video

Working as an ecologist

This is a colour video clip in which marine ecologist Dr Candida Savage of the University of Otago in New Zealand talks about her work, what led her to it and why she enjoys doing it. She explains how her research involves a variety of experiences, requiring creativity and collaboration with other scientists in many different ...

Online

Food for thought: learn resources for science

This is a rich resource for teachers about the impact of climate change on small-scale farmers. It includes two sets of resources, one for the primary level and the other for the secondary level. Each set of resources includes: a teacher guide with learning activities; worksheets for students; crop cards; and a PowerPoint ...

Video

Drought culprit

This 12 minute video segment from Catalyst is an excellent resource for students researching how oceans influence conditions on Earth's surface. It demonstrates the advantages and disadvantages of using models in science and how our understanding is open to revision as more information comes to light.

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About evapotranspiration

This resource is a Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) web page about evapotranspiration. The resource explains what evapotranspiration is and provides information about how the Bureau's evapotranspiration values have been calculated. It explains how to access the Bureau's daily evapotranspiration maps and tables, provides information ...

Interactive

Making a Salt Using an Insoluble Base

Students use this resource consisting of five slides with diagrams, written explanation and voice-over to understand how to prepare a neutral salt sample from an insoluble base. There is a two-question quiz and a summary slide.

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Forest learning: How is carbon stored?

This resource is a ten-page pdf produced by Forest and Wood Products Australia about the role forests play in reducing climate change. It includes sections on: properties of carbon; how carbon is cycled in ecosystems; the chemical formula for photosynthesis; and calculating CO2 stored in trees. The resource also includes ...

Video

The Reaction of Metals with Acid

Students use this simulation to learn that react with hydrochloric acid to produce salt and hydrogen and find out how to test for hydrogen gas. The notice that sodium reacts violently and that magnesium reacts more quickly than zinc but that the hydrogen gas test is positive for both. Word equations are provided for all reactions.

Audio

Solar thermal electricity

This program gives an update on research into solar thermal electricity. Liddell Power Station in the Hunter Valley, NSW is a hybrid power station using solar energy to pre-heat water and so reduce the use of coal and the production of carbon dioxide. Some scientists claim that harnessing the solar heat in an area 50km ...