• click here to return to the homepage •
or 
Home > Categories > Books > Activities / Crafts > The Chemical Helix review
Make a three-dimensional model of the periodic table.
Start with the enjoyable task of making this ingenious and colourful tower model which shows all the elements which have so far been discovered. They spiral downwards according to their electronic structures, hence, the name chemical helix.
The tower has eight sides and so, those elements which come above and below each other on the tower share chemical properties, just as they do in the conventional periodic table.
Included is an extensive minibook packed with ideas and explanations about the elements.
Thieves - A Novel
The Natural Way to a Better Pregnancy
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian
My Royal Story - Cleopatra
The Drowning
Little Rockets - Alice and the Airy Fairy
Geronimo Stilton Special Edition: The Journey Through Time
The Song of Kauri
Tiny Timmy #2: Tiny Timmy Makes The Grade
A Kiwi Jingle Bells
Flit the Fantail and the Flying Flop
Ghosts of the Past
Andy & the Little Rimu TreeProduct reviews...
Review by: tucker (Karl)
Dated: 14th of August, 2004
Having been a chemistry buff with a somewhat inventive mind (as the repair bills on my highschool chem lab can attest) I have always been an advocate of a better way to illustrate the relationships between chemical elements, than the good ol' Periodic Table.
Finally, these two authors have created possibly one of the most brilliant models accessible to children, and interested adults.
The Helix Tower has all the elements, from Hydrogen right through to Ununnilium (yup, that's it's real name) in an elegant helix-and-tanble combination that makes it very easy to understand the relationship between the elements, see the electron valence shell and how it determines chemical properties, atomic weight, neutron count, the lot.
The book even has enough room to include a cute mobile that illustrates the electron shell theory and family-groups, giving yet another 'handle' on atomic structure and it's connection to chemical properties.
With the wonderful minibook common to this series, containing all the theory, information, diagrams and explainations, this would have to be classed as a truely comprehensive guide to atomic theory. With the models giving great a learning for those with a kinethetic and visual-cue leaning style, it is simply a brilliant addition to any highschool chemistry lab... along with comprehensive accident insurance.
Overall, I am impressed that such learning resources are now available, and slightly miffed that I had to learn it all the hard way because no-one was able to develop it back when I was blowing holes in benchtops with sodium and water.
Random listing from 'Books'...
After a year of adventuring from China to the Ottoman Empire and across Europe, Laurence and Temeraire finally land upon the familiar shores of Britain.
But instead of enjoying a jubilant homecoming, they are hushed and herded to a camp far from their usual covert. Laurence soon discovers that during their time in the east, a virulent epidemic swept through the Aerial Corps and the British have lost many of their dragons. Entire ... more...
All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.
"Computer games don't affect kids. I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive electronic music."
Kristian Wilson, Nintendo, Inc, 1989
