This simulation can be used to explore how light interacts with molecules in our atmosphere.

Sample learning objectives include:

*Explore how light interacts with molecules in our atmosphere

*Identify that absorption of light depends on the molecule and the type of light

*Relate the...

A Catalyst article investigating what nitrogen and its compounds are used for. Nitrogen is colourless, odourless, non-toxic and inert, and has a wide range of uses. Nitrogen makes up seventy eight per cent of the Earth’s atmosphere by volume and has a considerable influence on respiration in plants and animals. The...

This is one of the six Background Books published for Stage I of the Nuffield Chemistry Sample Scheme. The books were highly illustrated and designed to be attractive. This is book describes applications of chemistry.

There are four parts to this book:
*Part 1: Salts from the sea
An account of...

This resource from the IET Faraday programme, supported by MEI and Tomorrow's Engineers, provides students the opportunity to estimate the numbers of stars in an image from the Hubble telescope.

"The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit...

In this podcast from the Planet Earth Online collection and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), two researchers talk about the technological solutions some scientists say might have to be used to tackle climate change.

With average temperatures expected to rise by 2°C this century, and efforts...

This resource from the European Space Agency climate change resource pack provides information gathered from the electromagnetic spectrum which is used to monitor and measure changes in the Earth’s climate system. Resources focus upon how satellite instruments orbiting the Earth detect data from the visible light,...

Ever wondered what would happen to your body in space? This activity will give you some idea. It shows how a marshmallow expands dramatically when normal atmospheric pressure is reduced, so students can understand what would happen to a human body in its place.

Learning outcomes:

• Investigate how...

Aerospace engineers need to take into account the heat generated when the space craft move through the atmosphere at extreme speeds, both during launch and at re-entry, as without proper thermal protection the space craft could be destroyed. Insulating blankets, foams and tiles are used to protect the spacecraft....

A fact sheet from the Geological society that explores the different greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and the impact they have on our climate. The fact sheet also looks at the human sources of greenhouse gas emissions such as transport, agriculture and industry. 

These resources from NASA look at why telescopes are put into space. Students build simple spectroscopes and telescopes to learn the answer to this question. This educator guide is divided into units of study that include science demonstrations, lesson plans and student sheets so that students may learn about Earth...

These resources, provided by University of Liverpool, focus on the rise in Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere over time.

Further information can be obtained from the Youtube site OceanClimateatUoL site, hosting other videos from Andy Heath and Ric Williams from University of Liverpool.

This issue of Catalyst includes the following articles:

...

In this activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, students are presented with a range of graphical information.

Students are presented with a graph about atmospheric oxygen levels at different altitudes. They are asked questions about the graph and also pose questions to their fellow...