Monthly Archives: November 2016

Problem to Solve: To find a fun, easy, interactive and informative digital solution to learning about the periodic table. 

Solutions to Solve the Problem: Possibly using internet websites and online science games to engage students in the activity. Find an app or program doing the same on a mobile device for ease of use.

Chemistry, and the periodic table, is a very complex subject that many students struggle to comprehend. I think that using technology would be an alternative and fun solution for students to interact with the material and would help them visualize what is going on.

To help with that, I found an app called the “Periodic Table” by JQ Soft. It features an interactive periodic table that gives more understandable, in depth information about elements, and much more.

App Review

When I first opened the app, I was impressed with the colourful charts, and the organized layout of the app. I was able to easily navigate around without getting lost in piles of un-comprehensible information. This app is completely free on the Google Play Store.

When you first launch the app, it opens up a large, colour-coded periodic table, dividing the elements into their respective groups. One of the most helpful features of this app is that if you click on any of the elements on the table, it will open up a page of all the information on that element, including pictures and diagrams. It gives all the information regarding it’s name, year it was discovered, Atomic Properties, Thermodynamic Properties, Material Properties, Electromagnetic Properties, Reactivity and Nuclear Properties. It gives in point form all the information about that element in a simple, easy and understandable fashion.

Those are the basic features of the app, and it has a lot more to offer, such as a Solubility Chart and a Molar Mass Calculator. The problem is that all those features are locked until you purchase Pro Access. To unlock these features, it will cost you $4.99 CAD. To me, this is a problem and an annoyance. It interferes with the use of the app, and makes it hard to do everything you need to do without having to pay.

Another aspect that proved to be a problem was the ads. About 15 seconds after first launching the app, there was a pop up ad for something that had nothing to do with Science. This would be quite an annoyance if you are trying to do work with this app and this keeps interfering. Again, to be free of these ads you are required to pay $4.99 to unlock Pro Access.

Pros:

•  Easy to use
• Informative
• Interactive

Cons:

• Full potential of the app is locked unless you pay
• Ads interfere with use of the app

Overall, I think this is a great app for chemistry students to use, allowing them quick and easy access to helpful information. Regardless of the problems with ads and some locked features, I still found this app quite useful. The advanced features of the app would be of great help as well, if you don’t mind paying a little bit of money.