Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources edited by
Journal of Chemical Education: Software
Jon L. Holmes Nancy S. Gettys University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, WI 53706
Periodic Table Live! Abstract of Special Issue 17, a CD-ROM Periodic Table Live! combines on a single CD-ROM the digital video from the Periodic Table CD (1) with the graphical and descriptive databases of the elements from the Illustrated Periodic Table (2) and Chemistry Navigator (3) to form a unified, easy-to-use, dynamic tour of the periodic table. These three popular JCE: Software publications have been upgraded to work together and are bundled on a single CD-ROM for both Windows and Macintosh. The result is a stimulating interactive journey through the periodic table
suitable for students at all levels of chemistry, most especially in courses focusing on introductory, inorganic, and solid state chemistry. Further information about The Periodic Table CD, Illustrated Periodic Table, Chemistry Navigator—the formerly separate proPeriodic Table Live! grams that this CD includes— continues below. Windows Macintosh
Special Issue 17
The Periodic Table CD
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Alton J. Banks Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8204 Jon L. Holmes Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53715-1116
The Periodic Table CD is a digitized version of our alltime favorite publication, The Periodic Table Videodisc (4). It contains a database of visual information—still images and motion sequences—about the chemical elements. The motion sequences show reactions (if any) of each element with air, with water, with two acids, and with a base; the still pictures show most of the elements as well as common and not-so-common uses and applications of each element. For most elements, the Periodic Table CD includes still images of the element and of its uses and applications. Elements are shown in their stable form at room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure. Pictures are either labeled with the element’s name and symbol, or unlabeled, making it possible to ask students to identify an element based on its visible characteristics. Close-up images and me-
Aluminum from The Periodic Table CD.
dium-range images that give some perspective on the size of each sample are included. Still images of up to a dozen applications of each element are also available. These are shown preceded by a title that indicates what the application is and in which form (pure element, oxide, etc.) the element is used. Additionally, The reaction of aluminum with 6 M sodium motion video se- hydroxide from The Periodic Table CD. quences show the element reacting with air, water, two aqueous acids, and aqueous base. Such movie files are available for nearly every case in which a reaction is known to occur. Each begins with a label to identify the element and each type of reaction is identified by its experimental set-up. This facilitates comparisons among reactions of different elements with the same reagent. All images and video can be accessed directly using the included movie player utility. But more importantly, most of these are now accessible using Chemistry Navigator (Macintosh) or the Illustrated Periodic Table (Windows).
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Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources
Chemistry Navigator Upgrade John C. Kotz and Susan Young Department of Chemistry, SUNY College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820 Chemistry Navigator is a hyperbook database of infordiscovery of each element. The text is linked to the reacmation in the form of descriptive text, numerical values of tions of the element from the Periodic Table CD and to other properties, full-color photos of chemicals and reactions, sections of Chemistry Navigator. Structural information three-dimensional molecular structures, animations about several elements and some of their common comof structural feapounds is also contained in the text. Descriptions of tures, and graphs these structures as well as accurate structure models showing periodic generated by CAChe Scientific molecular modeling trends, relative software are included. In some cases animations of elemental abunmolecular motions and animated sequences showing dances, and other the construction of simple crystals are available. properties. It has Portraits of Chemists been upgraded to This chapter, which is hyperlinked to “About the access images and Elements”, gives brief biographies of about 40 men video from the Peand women who riodic Table CD. played key roles in Chemistry Navigathe history of chemtor has two main istry, particularly in chapters. “About the discovery of the the Elements” deAbout the Elements chapter of elements. A photo scribes individual Chemistry Navigator shows sodium or drawing of each elements, their reacting with acids and a picture of is included. This common comsodalite. material is depounds and molsigned to incorpoecules, and their rate some of the hustructures. It contains hypertext links to the visual man side of science, information of the Periodic Table CD. “Portraits of complementing the Chemists” is a chapter on important figures in the overview of the history of chemistry. These chapters are seamlessly chemical elements linked via hypertext and a main table of contents so Joseph Priestly from “Portraits of Chemists” chapprovided in the that these aspects of chemistry can be explored acter of Chemistry Navigator. “About the Elecording to each student’s individual interests. ments” chapter. It About the Elements provides insights into the process of scientific discovery, the Chemistry Navigator contains information about the personalities of scientists, and the interactions of science properties, common compounds and uses, and history of the and society.
Illustrated Periodic Table Upgrade Paul F. Schatz, John W. Moore, and Jon L. Holmes Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706 John C. Kotz Department of Chemistry, SUNY College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820 The Illustrated Periodic Table helps students explore a wealth of information about the chemical elements and is now upgraded to support the Periodic Table CD. The program includes the database from KC? Discoverer (5), as well as much additional information in graphic and textual formats. It contains a descriptive hypertext about each element, a search function for finding words in that text, a periodic table navigation tool that allows access to information about any element with a single mouse click, numeri-
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cal values of macroscopic and atomic-level properties, literature references to the data, a hot-linked glossary of definitions of many terms used in the hypertext, graphic and textual information about crystal structures of the elements, graphic and textual information about many of the scientists who made important discoveries about the elements, and images showing the elements and their uses. Using Microsoft Excel numeric properties from the KC? Discoverer database can be graphed and sorted.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 74 No. 4 April 1997
Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources Potassium burns in air as one of its discoverers, J o h a n n Gottlieb Gahn, looks on.
Program Design Navigation among the elements is never farther away than the periodic table at the upper left of the screen (above). A mouse click on any symbol in the table takes one to the screen for that element. The region at the upper right of the screen contains hypertext and numeric data. Hot words that access visual data are shown in boldface type. Additional hotwords are not boldfaced; these provide definitions from the glossary when clicked. Numerical data is divided into Physical (macroscopic) and Atomic properties. Each property name is a hot word that presents a definition and reference to the source of the data. For some properties, graphs as a function of atomic number are available. Buttons at the lower center of the screen provide access to other features. The Video button provides access to the reactions of the elements from the
Periodic Table CD. The Crystal button presents a threedimensional computer-generated drawing of the solid-state structure of the current element. A description of the structure, often including hot words, is given in the small box at the bottom right. The Search button opens a dialog box that prompts for a word to be searched for in the hypertext. Once the word is found, the screen automatically shifts to the element the word was used to describe. Optional Feature The Chart button (not shown) allows you to generate graphs from the numeric data and to sort these data according to increasing numeric value. Any physical or atomic property can be graphed on either the x or the y axis. Charting is done using Microsoft Excel, which is not supplied with this issue; if you do not have Excel, the Chart button will not appear.
Cesium is used in photocells and it also reacts violently with water.
What You Need To Use This Issue Hardware and Software Requirements For use with a Macintosh an Apple Macintosh or compatible computer with 68040 or Power Macintosh CPU and at least 8 MB RAM, 256-color monitor (thousands of colors recommended) with at least 640 × 480 pixel resolution, a double speed or faster CD-ROM drive, and System 7 or later are required. Windows users require Microsoft Windows version 3.1 or later or Windows 95 and a compatible computer with an 80486 or higher processor, a minimum of 12 MB of memory, a mouse, 256-color, 640 × 480 or higher Super VGA graphics with a compatible color monitor, and double speed or faster CD-ROM drive.
Cobalt reacts with acid to form highly colored compounds. It is also a component of Vitamin B-12.
Literature Cited 1. Banks, A. J.; Holmes, J. L. The Periodic Table CD-ROM; J. Chem. Educ.: Software, 1995, SP 10. 2. Kotz, J. C.; Young, S. Chemistry Navigator; J. Chem. Educ.: Software, 1994, 6C, No.2. 3. Schatz, P. F., Moore, J. W.; Holmes, J. L.; Kotz, J. C. The Illustrated Periodic Table; J. Chem. Educ.: Software, 1995, 2D, Number 2. 4. Banks, A. J. The Periodic Table Videodisc, 1st ed.; J. Chem. Educ.: Software, 1989, SP 1; 2nd ed. 1995. 5. Feng, Aw; Moore, J. W.; Harwood, W.; Gayhart, R. KC? Discoverer; J. Chem. Educ.: Software 1988 1B (1). Cabrol, D.; Moore, J. W.; Rittenhouse, R. C. KC? Discoverer with Knowledgeable Counselor; J. Chem. Educ. Software, Special Issue 2, 1992.
Ordering and Information Journal of Chemical Education: Software (often called JCE: Software) is a publication of the Journal of Chemical Education. There is an Order Form inserted in 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, 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, updates, etc.) is available from our World Wide Web site at:
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/
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