A free software program is helping high school students learn all about molecules. The software, IQmol, models the three-dimensional structure of molecules. This allows students to get a clearer picture of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon monoxide that are causing global temperatures to soar, according to the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
“High schoolers learning chemistry are used to seeing molecules two-dimensionally on paper or on a whiteboard, which can make the subject difficult to grasp and understand,” Shaama Sharada, a WISE Gabilan Assistant Professor of chemical engineering and materials science and chemistry at USC Viterbi, told USC Viterbi School of Engineering. “IQmol maps out the actual structure of these molecules, so students can visualize where atoms and electrons are located and better understand how they interact.”
Sharada, who uses the software for her own work, is introducing it to K-12 schools as a way to help students understand the structure of molecules. In 2020, she gave a tutorial of the software to an environmental science class at Hawthorne Math and Science Academy in California. After experimenting with the software, students were using it to make models of greenhouse gases.
Meredith Brandon, who teaches the class, told USC Viterbi that she normally uses physical 3D models to teach her students about molecule structure, but that virtual learning has made this difficult.
“IQmol has been a great tool to get students building and manipulating models on the computer,” she said.
Since then, Brandon has developed a lesson plan with the help of a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering that aims to teach students about greenhouse gases using IQmol. The lesson plan consists of activities and exercises for students, including answer keys and other materials for educators, and is available for free on the USC Viterbi Women in Chemical Engineering webpage.
Learn more about IQmol. Also learn about chemical engineering, and other fields, with IEEE TryEngineering’s Engineering, Computing And Technology Fields page.