Chemistry of life

This course is a part of Biology, a 31-course Topic series from Khan Academy.

Learn how chemistry makes life possible! From you, to your dog, to your dinner, to the global ecosystem, all living systems are made out of atoms that obey the basic rules of chemistry. Here, you can learn about the key properties of atoms, including what particles they contain, how they are organized, and how they form chemical bonds with one another.

This course contains 3 segments:

Elements and atoms

Learn what matter is made of! We'll cover elements, atoms, and subatomic particles (protons, neutrons, and electrons). We'll also check out isotopes, radioactivity, and carbon dating.

Electron shells and orbitals

Learn how electrons are organized in atoms! We will cover the Bohr model, electron shells, and orbitals, as well as periodic table trends in electron configurations and reactivity.

Chemical bonds and reactions

Find out how atoms interact with each other to form bonds! We'll look at the different types of strong bonds, including nonpolar covalent, polar covalent, and ionic bonds, as well as weak bonds such as hydrogen bonds and London dispersion forces.