Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources
Journal of Chemical Education: Software
edited by
Jon L. Holmes Nancy S. Gettys University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 53706
The JCE: Software General Chemistry Collection (for Students): Abstract of Special Issue 16 The JCE: Software General Chemistry Collection CDROM contains software intended for use by introductory level chemistry students. This includes programs from Series B for PC-compatible computers, Series C for Macintosh computers, and Series D for Windows computers. All of this popular, previously published, peer-reviewed software is now available on a single CD-ROM for convenient access by students. This is the first JCE: Software issue targeted directly to students. As an ever-increasing number of students have access to their own computers, we expect they will find these programs useful tools for learning chemistry outside the classroom. The programs included on this CDROM and the general chemistry topics they apply to are listed in Table 1. This collection covers a broad range of topics. Students having access to either a Macintosh or PC-compatible computer will find interesting information, tutorials, and simulations that will be useful to them as they study chemistry for the first time. The figures that follow are screen reproductions from a few of the programs included on the CD.
Learn about the solid state and crystal structures with Bravais (top left, for PC), Window on the Solid State, (above right, for Windows and Macintosh), and Solid-State Structures for MacMolecule (bottom left, for Macintosh).
AnswerSheets (for Macintosh and Windows) helps you solve many kinds of chemistry problems. The program can generate questions for you, or solve your problems.
Explore the periodic table and learn about the elements with either Illustrated Periodic Table (top, for Windows) or Chemistry Navigator (bottom, for Macintosh).
With Lake Study (for Macintosh and Windows) you can practice your problem solving skills while investigating an environmental dilemma.
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Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources
Practice laboratory procedures safely at home with simulated instruments and experiments. Examples shown here (counterclockwise from upper left corner) are from Animated Demonstrations II, Spec20, SIRs (all for PC), and the Acid– Base Package (for Macintosh).
Table 1. Titles and Topics in the JCE: Software General Chemistry Collection PC Programs
Topics
Macintosh programs
Topics
Alkane Isomers
Organic nomenclature, Organic structural isomers
Acid–Base Package
Titration curves, Buffers, pH, Alpha plots
Animated Demonstrations I
Wave theory of atom, Atomic orbital electron distributions, Ionic compounds, Hydration of Ions, Cleavage of ionic crystal
AnswerSheets
Unit conversions, Inorganic nomenclature, Stoichiometry, VSEPR theory, Chemical structures
Animated Demonstrations II
Mass spectrometer, X-ray diffraction
Atomic Spectra-Graph
Atomic emission spectra
Chemistry Navigator
Periodic table, History of chemistry, Minerals, Periodic trends
Coordination Compounds
Octahedral complexes, Structural isomers
Inorganic Nomenclature
Inorganic nomenclature
Lake Study for Macintosh
Scientific method, Water chemistry, Environmental chemistry
MolVib 2.0:
Molecular vibration animations
Bravais
Bravais lattices
Chemistry CAI
Nuclear chemistry, Colligative properties, Coulomb’s law, Solubility product, Faraday’s law of electrolysis, Periodic trends
FactGame
Drill on chemical facts
KinWorks
Experimental determination of rate constants, Design of kinetics experiments
Organic Nomenclature
Organic nomenclature
Precision of Calc. Values
Experimental error
Calculations and plotting of data
Solid-State Structures
Solid state, Structural chemistry
REACT
Balancing equations, ∆H, ∆S, ∆G calculations, Equilibrium constants
Window on the Solid State
Solid state, Structures of metals
Rutherford
Alpha-particle scattering experiment, Nuclear atom
SIRs
Periodic table, Electron orbitals, Atomic electronic structure, Barometers and manometers, Vapor pressure, Ideal gases, Dalton’s law, Heat capacity, Heat of reaction, Entropy, Approach to equilibrium, Equilibrium constants, Equilibrium problems, Titration curves, Titrating an unknown, Buffers, Electrochemical cells, Faraday’s law, Nernst equation, Reaction rate, Initial rate method, Determining rate constants, Reaction mechanisms, Functions and graphs
Notebook
Windows Programs
Topics
AnswerSheets
Unit conversions, Inorganic nomenclature, Stoichiometry, VSEPR theory, chemical structures
BCTC
Water chemistry, Environmental chemistry, Chemistry and society
Bonding Theory
History of chemistry, Metal complexes, Structural isomers
Equilibrium Calculator
Equilibrium calculations
Illustrated Periodic Table
History of chemistry, Periodic table, Periodic trends, Descriptive chemistry of elements, Structural chemistry of elements
Lake Study for Windows
Scientific method, Water chemistry, Environmental chemistry
Spec20
Visible spectrophotometry
VizQuiz with WiscQuizzes
Quizzing and homework
TITRATE
Titration curves, Alpha plots
Window on the Solid State
Solid state, Structures of metals
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Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 74 No. 2 February 1997
Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources
Table 2. General Hardware and Software Requirements for JCE: Software. Series
Computer
CPU
RAM
Graphics
Operating System
B
IBM PC compatible
80286 or higher
640 KB
VGA or better
MS-DOS or IBM PC-DOS version 5.0 or higher
C
Apple Macintosh or compatible
68020 or higher Power Mac suggested
4 MB 8 MB suggested
256 or more colors 640 × 480 resolution
System 7 or later
D
Windows compatible
80486 or higher
4 MB 8 MB suggested
VGA; SVGA with 256 or more colors suggested
Windows 3.1 or later
How to Use This CD-ROM This CD-ROM is intended for student use only and it is to be purchased directly by students for their use outside of the classroom. The CD will provide an additional opportunity to use JCE: Software programs assigned by the instructor previously available only during specified times in the classroom or computer room. Also, students will find other programs on the CD to be useful study aids. An instructor’s version of the CD including suggestions for incorporation of the programs into the high school/college general chemistry curriculum is under development and is expected to be available later this year. Hardware/Software Requirements General requirements for each computer series are given in Table 2. Some programs have additional special requirements. Please see the individual program abstracts (see http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/ or previous issues of the Journal of Chemical Education) or documentation included on the CD-ROM for more specific information.
Journal of Chemical Education: Software (often called JCE: Software) is a publication of the Journal of Chemical Education. There is an order form on the inside back cover of this issue that provides prices and other ordering information. If this card is not available or if you need additional information, contact: JCE: Software University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Chemistry 1101 University Avenue Madison, WI 53706-1396 Phone: 608/262-5153 or 1-800-991-5534; fax: 608/265-8094; Email:
[email protected] Information about all of our publications (including abstracts, descriptions, and updates) is available from our World Wide Web site: http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/.
Acknowledgment This CD-ROM contains the work of many authors. The time and effort of these dedicated chemistry educators in producing these programs is gratefully acknowledged by the editors, along with the authors’ generosity in contributing their work to the chemistry education community by submission to JCE: Software. Thanks are also due the many peer reviewers who volunteered their time to test these programs, and the thousands of teachers in high schools, colleges, and universities all over the world who have made these programs available to their students. Their input has been invaluable in program development, revisions, and updates. Licensing Purchasers of this collection of software are licensed to install and use the software on a single computer only. This CD-ROM is intended for personal use only; installation onto network servers or computers used by more than a single individual is strictly forbidden. Ordering and Information Faculty members who would like to recommend that their students purchase this collection for use in their course are encouraged to have their local bookstores order this CD collection. Alternatively, faculty members may purchase this collection in quantities of 20 or more at the bookstore rate and distribute them to their students. Of course individual copies of the collection can be ordered directly from JCE Software.
Chemistry utility programs are handy for homework and analysis of laboratory data. Shown here (clockwise from the upper left corner) are examples from Precision of Calculated values (for Macintosh), Notebook (for PC), Atomic Spectra-Graph (for Macintosh), and Equilibrium Calculator (for Windows).
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