NAUTIL.US | TEXT SETS Fusion: when two or more nuclei collide, fusing to 2. How does the story change the way you see your- make a new nucleus and releasing energy. This pro- self? Others? cess usually only occurs in atoms lighter than iron. ACTIVITIES Chemical bond: an attraction between two or more . . 4: . . 1. Pick an element not discussed in this article. atoms that allows them to form a substance of defi- . 4: . . - ; Where else 1s it found? Where did it come from? nite chemical composition. Breaking these bonds requires energy. 2. Draw a map or annotated illustration of all the . . laces carbon goes in this article. Use outside Petroleum: a “fossil fuel” that forms when organisms P 8 ; . research to complete a full picture of the carbon are crushed under rock and subjected to lots of pres- . . . i cycle. sure, and lots of time. Like the organisms it’s made of, petroleum consists largely of carbon. ADDITIONAL MULTIMEDIA READING COMPREHENSION 1. Whose air do you share? . It’s OK To Be Smart, PBS) 3 MIN 30 SEC 1. “Each of those waste molecules is a carbon atom ( : : ) — oa: A video that explains how we breathe recycled bome on two atomic wings of oxygen.” Write out ee . . . ‘ : ; air—including molecules of air exhaled by Ein- the chemical equation for the molecule described 4. here stein himself: . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BybkIysAKe 2. “Organic” is used in two different ways in this a8 . ys 2. We Are Star Stuff segment piece. What are the two different definitions? ; (Carl Sagan’s Cosmos) 8 MIN 3. What does it mean for a chemical to be “highly Carl Sagan explains how the elements of life reactive?” Identify oxygen’s location on the peri- were born in stars, evolved into simple organ- odic table, the group of atoms that it belongs to, isms, then into us: intelligent creatures, capable and why they are considered “highly reactive.” of exploring the stars we came from: . . 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E9dEAxSS 4. Which elements on the periodic table a