Science Tutor Tom

10/02/2025

https://sciencetutortom.com/blog/why_I_love_tutoring

A blog post about why I love tutoring.

05/12/2023

Just had a lovely moment in a lesson where a student was quite reasonably struggling with the spelling of the indicator phenolphthalein and observing what a clunky word it was. I'd never thought to look up the etymology and it turns out to derive via phthalates (synthetic plasticizers, yawn!) from naphtha, from the Persian meaning "wet" - a reference to it being a liquid fuel, unlike coal or natural gas. The student doesn't speak Persian but has a nearer relationship to it than other languages. Naphtha is commonly used by fire breathers. DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!

22/11/2023

I never thought I would design lessons around a horror movie franchise. Not only because a minimum requirement of responsible tutoring is not terrifying your students, but because frankly, I’m pretty easily terrified myself.

I was researching ways to support an adult student who learns outside the mainstream and found new inspiration in old advice. Make it relatable! That’s already at the heart of everything I do, which is why I spend so much time asking my students what they like on their chips – salt: ionic bonding, vinegar: weak acids, the list is endless. But the advice gave me an idea.

Click the link to read more

A blog post about personalising a chemistry lesson using references to a horror film for an adult student who loves the Saw movies

28/09/2023

Know anyone starting year 13 A-level chemistry? This free quiz will test their understanding around common misconceptions from year 12 content, concluding with a list of strengths and targets for improvement.

A quiz to help year 13 students check their understanding of year 12 concepts

21/09/2023

What a mesmerising video! Why is dried spaghetti so brittle? Pasta contains lots of carbohydrates, the molecules of which form hydrogen bonds with each other but also with water molecules. When dry, the long carbohydrate chains are too attracted to each other to slide past each other, because of the hydrogen bonds. But once the strands absorb water, the smaller water molecules get between the carbohydrate chains and act almost like sets of logs beneath giant rocks, enabling them to roll over each other and hence for the spaghetti strands to bend.

14/09/2023

Love this picture of pink amethyst and it's an eye-catching introduction to the chemistry of silicon dioxide. The pink colour is caused by transition metal impurities and the giant covalent lattice structure gives it a super high melting point.

09/09/2023

Me in my element, ahem...

What links banoffee pie to the chemistry of benzene? The hydrocarbon would make a terrible dessert ingredient, but it has something in common with the aromat...

09/09/2023

https://edu.rsc.org/ideas/heroic-thermodynamics/3007671.article

Engaging students with qualitative assessment of thermodynamics

09/09/2023

Why did the inventor of the television reroute the entire output of the Clydesdale Electric Company into a dustbin full of coaldust? And what does it have to do with chemistry? This is the kind of folklore I weave into my lessons to help inspire students. But I`m not just a story teller. I`m an experienced science teacher and A-level chemistry examiner. I have been teaching science to students aged 11 to 18 since 2010. Ask to see my 30+ five-star reviews. To inquire about lessons, please visit

Tom Husband is an online tutor of A-level chemistry and GCSE science