From Arsenic to Zirconium: Poems and Surprising Facts about the Elements [Paperback]

93 short poems that teach about the elements of the periodic table.

Indulge your love of the periodic table with this collection of poems and fun facts about the chemical elements that make up our world. From arsenic to zirconium, this book describes the characteristics, history, and quirks of each element. The poems are a launching point for a guided tour of the elements filled with fascinating scientific trivia. For instance:

Antimony, used to treat constipation in the Middle Ages, may have killed Mozart.

There's arsenic in your prawns! (But don't worry, it won't harm you.)

Erbium is used to dope optical fiber amplifiers that make your YouTube videos download faster.

Iridium was key to the meteor theory of why dinosaurs went extinct.

You'll find potassium in both bananas and gunpowder.

Sulfur plays a role in whether your hair is curly or straight.

Expand your library of scientific literature with this playful and poetic romp through the periodic table. If you are the type of science teacher who loves telling stories and sharing anecdotes to enhance your lesson material, this book is for you! Adding to the ever-growing library of books about the chemical elements, their properties and uses and their positions in the periodic table, Peter Davern has come up with an interesting and engaging approach to this fundamental area of chemistry . . . a budding chemist would also find endless fascination in its contents.
—Janet Mitchell, School Science Review

This elegantly constructed poetic version of the periodic table and the attributes of its elements serves as a numeric alphabet guide to the basic makeup of our wló#