[LQ43]

I just wanted to pass along this software  from www.chemsense.org

It is a drawing program that is different from the others out there in that it allows you to draw not only compounds/molecules but also reaction systems that can be animated. One of the many cool features is that it has a periodic table menu (click on the H in the circle) that lets you choose which element you want, in atomic or ionic form (the size changes too)

It is FREEWARE developed by SRI (Stanford Research Institute) and has 2 versions. One version called Chemsense Animator is a stand-alone program allowing drawing of the above mentioned. There is also a classroom version that can be used if you can get the server to work on your machine.

It was developed mainly for the advanced high school and 1st year chem student audience. I have used it for these students and even shown it to much younger students, its so easy to use and gets students to see the particulate view of matter.

Basically, it advances student thinking to this view of chemistry that most students didn't get to until grad school and years of chemistry behind them.

I first heard about it at a chem ed conference last year. I know of others in Texas, california and MI using it but it is not widespread. So I'm spreading the word!

[LQ43]

so many views,  anyone try it? what do you think?

[phillyj]

yea i tried it. kind of tedious but not bad. i tried to make a animation but it got too complicated

[LQ43]

the animations are made by making frames. Click on "Add frames" and you get a copy of what you drew, then just move around the particles. Add more frames and keep moving the particles until you get your end result.

Then you click "Play" and all your frames are shown in sequence like a flip book.

Simulating gas or solutions:

If you make a frame of particles, like H2O and Na+ and Cl- ions (group each part so that the atoms and bonds stay together) and then go to Arrange/ Stop and Start Random motion, the particles move around in a random motion pattern, like in a gas or solution


Now, anyone else have any comments? with 654 views, it would be interesting if others would share their experiences

[enahs]

Is this just for things to do on your own. Or does it have any built-in lectures/tutorials to teach people things?

[LQ43]

the educators who were partnering with the software developers formed these activities for students
http://chemsense.org/classroom/activities.html

[phillyj]

how do i draw a cycloalkene? a ring with one double bond. its not in there

[LQ43]

click on the cyclohexane ring, then use the single bond to position it along side one of the bonds in the ring to make it look like a double bond. Its not Chemdraw so be careful not to position the new bond right on top of the cyclohexane bonds, it won't show up.