When a memory expert memorizes playing cards or the first thousand decimals of pi, they
use mental imagery techniques.
In this series of videos you’re going to memorize the first 20 elements of the periodic
table by doing what the experts do.
I’ll tell you exactly what to picture in your mind, and I’ll even draw it for you
too.
Focus on seeing each picture in your head, and you’ll be amazed how easily you can
recall everything.
Let’s get into it.
We’ll begin by picturing a typical poster or chart of the periodic table.
There are many small, colorful squares, each with a name, number and symbol of an element,
and together they create a large irregular shape.
This image will act as an anchor in your memory, holding down the chain of images which link
together all the elements.
Now we’ll take that colorful poster and attach it to the first element.
Picture that poster of the periodic table and imagine it’s wrapped around a water
hydrant.
Why a water hydrant?
The 1st element in the periodic table is Hydrogen.
Hydrogen sounds similar to hydrant and that’s how you’ll be reminded of it.
Picture a water hydrant you see on the sidewalk.
It’s short, stubby, red, and looks strong.
The hydrant is like a little man with a small hat on top and stubby arms sticking out the
side.
Imagine that hydrant with the chart of the periodic table wrapped around it.
When you think of the chart of the periodic table, you’ll picture it wrapped around
a water hydrant.
Because hydrant sounds similar to hydrogen, you’ll know the 1st element in the table
is Hydrogen.
The 2nd element is Helium.
If you’re like me, when you think of Helium, you automatically think of a helium balloon.
When you let it go, it’s the type that floats up into the sky.
Now imagine an enormous helium balloon.
Make it the size of a car and picture it attached to the water hydrant.
Because the helium balloon is so big and has so much lifting power, it starts to lift the
water hydrant up off the sidewalk.
Together they slowly float up into the air and away into the sky.
Now, when you visualize the helium balloon floating upwards, you’ll know the 2nd element
is Helium.
The 3rd element is Lithium.
Lithium sounds a bit like “lithp”.
People that have a lisp – a type of speech impediment – aren’t able to pronounce
“lisp” and say “lithp”.
Let’s pretend the large helium balloon has a lisp.
It also has a small hole in it, causing the balloon to slowly deflate.
Usually a balloon with a hole in it will make a slow “ssss” sound, but because this
balloon has a lisp or “lithp”, it makes a “thhh” sound.
Visualize the large balloon slowly deflating making a “thhh” sound.
When you think of the balloon’s “lithp”, you’ll be reminded of the 3rd element, Lithium.
The 4th element is Beryllium.
If you say Beryllium slowly, it sounds like “bee really yum”.
Picture your slowly deflating balloon.
Imagine an enormous bumble bee lands on the balloon.
The bee is the size of a football and has bright yellow and black stripes and buzzes
loudly.
The bee licks the balloon to have a taste and says, “that’s really yum!”
It really likes the taste of the balloon.
When you picture the bee licking the balloon, you’ll think, “bee really yum”, and
be reminded of the 4th element, Beryllium.
The 5th element is Boron.
We can break up the word Boron into “bore” and “on”.
The word “bore” can mean to drill a hole.
Picture now the bee, after tasting the balloon.
It uses its stinger, pierces the balloon and starts to spin around in a drilling motion.
The bee has landed on the balloon, tasted it, and now it’s started to “bore on”
the balloon.
When you picture the bee begin to bore on the balloon, you’ll remember the 5th element,
Boron.
Alright, that’s the first 5 elements of the periodic table.
I'm sure you can easily remember them, but quickly revise your memory story now by replaying
it and “watching” it in your mind.
Picture a poster of the periodic table.
The poster of the periodic table is wrapped around a hydrant, which reminds you of Hydrogen.
The hydrant starts to float up into the sky because it's got a huge helium balloon attached
to it, reminding you of Helium.
When it gets high up in the sky, the balloon starts to slowly deflate and makes a “thhh”
sound, because it has a “lithp”, giving you Lithium.
Then you see a huge bumblebee land on the balloon, lick it and declare it’s “really
yum”.
Bee, really yum – Beryllium.
The bee starts to bore on the balloon with its stinger, making you recall Boron.
And that’s the first five elements of the periodic table, how simple was that?
I hope this video has served you well, check out the others in this series and in less
than half an hour you’ll be ready for that chemistry exam tomorrow.
Please like this video, please share it with your friends, and please leave a comment below
if you thought it was helpful.
I do read all the comments and reply to any questions personally, so feel free to ask
anything you like.
Thanks for watching, I’ll see you in the next video.