Summary

Materials that are poor conductors of electricity are generally considered nonmetals. One important use of nonmetals is the ability to insulate against current flow. The Earth's atmosphere is composed of nonmetallic elements, but lightning can break down the electron bonds and allow huge voltages to make their way to the ground. Water in its pure form is nonmetallic, though it almost always contains impurities called electrolytes that allow for an electric field.

With an exploration of the benefits and challenges to society, health, and the environment, Nonmetals provides readers with new developments in the research of nonmetals, including where they came from, how they fit into our current technological society, and where they may lead us. Written in an easy-to-read format, this new full-color volume discusses new developments and dilemmas; past, present, and future uses of nonmetals in science and technology; and much more. Nonmetals explored in this volume include hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, sulfur, and selenium.

Specifications

Full-color photographs and line illustrations. Index. Chronology. Glossary. Further resources.

About the Author(s)

Monica Halka, Ph.D., an experimental physicist specializing in the interaction of light with atoms, is committed to the improvement of physics teaching at the high school and college levels. In addition to many publications in professional research journals, she writes and presents on physics education, was selected by NASA as an astronaut candidate, and has received education grant funding from the National Science Foundation. She has given invited talks on physics education in Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and the United States, and participated in the Oregon Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers. She currently serves as associate director of the University Honors Program at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, where she regularly teaches an undergraduate course on energy and society.

Brian Nordstrom, Ed.D., a physical chemist, received an A.B. in physical science and an M.S. in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, and an Ed.D. from Northern Arizona University. His interests include chemical kinetics, environmental chemistry, chemical education, and the history and philosophy of science. He is professor of chemistry at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.