The Photographic Card Deck of the Elements

The Photographic Card Deck of the Elements
By Theodore Gray
Published at Black Dog & Leventhal

About the Cart Deck

A companion to the bestselling book The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe, this beautiful photographic card deck features all 118 elements in the periodic table. One element per card appears as a full-size image on the front and fascinating information about the element on the back.

The Photographic Card Deck of The Elements is the most detailed, lush, and beautiful set of cards ever produced on the subject of the periodic table. With 126, 5"X5" cards in all, it includes one card for every one of the 118 elements, plus additional cards that explain the arrangement of the periodic table, present the elements sorted by various properties, and suggest activities and uses for the cards.

The front side of each card shows a full-size, photographic image of the element, while the back gives scientific information including atomic weight, density, melting and boiling point, valence, and the percent of the element found in the universe, in the Earth's crust, in oceans, and in humans. Graphics show melting/boiling points, density, electron configuration, and atomic radius. A fascinating fact about the element, as well as the date of its discovery, is also included.

The cards are perfect for students but also make an excellent gift for a scientist or anyone who enjoys the beauty and diversity of the natural world.

My Thoughts

Ah!  Chemistry.   I must admit that when I was in high school and then cegep, I had a love/hate relationship with this subject.    There were times I really enjoyed it and other times that I didn’t understand a thing.    I remember clearly having to learn the famous periodic table by heart for a test.  

These days, students have nothing to complain when it comes to learning more about the periodic table.  Have you did some research lately on books and other items that can be used to learn this.    There are great books whether Christian based or not that can be used to learn more about the elements.

Take the Photographic Card Deck of the Elements for example.   Oh how much I wish I would have had this product when I was learning my periodic table.   It would have helped me quite a bit since I am a visual person.   Not only do you get an image of something representing the element but the back of the card contains much information about the element itself.

Take sodium for example.  The front of the card show a close-up image of what salt is. and gives the it’s atomic symbol and number.  The back of the card contains information like the position in the table, the density, the boiling point, the gas range,the solid range, the crystal structure the atomic radius, and all the information attached to it like weight, density and so on. Apparently sodium was discovered in 1807 in England.  

Each card is presented the same way as the one about sodium.   One of the first cards included in the box contains some activities that can be done with these cards.   For example, if you stack the cards in a certain order like let’s say by atomic number and than slide the deck slightly to the left, right, or top to reveal the graphical property strips along the edges, you will see patterns on how density, melting point, boiling point, or electron configuration vary among the elements.  There are also other game like Elements Go Fish for example.   All sort of ideas to learn the elements and retain them in memory.

The cards are easier to carry around than the book The Elements though it doesn’t contain as much images.    The book definitively contains more example of where we could find the element in our daily lives.   However, you can discover that by simply going to the Periodic Table website.

This product can definitively be a great item to have if you are studying chemistry or if you want to learn more about the periodic table.   It is perfect for students, teachers, and homeschoolers.  

The Photographic Card Deck of the Elements is available at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.