In this article, we describe a fully computational laboratory exercise that results in an increase of students' understanding of what quantum chemical geometry optimization calculations are doing to find minimum energy structures. This laboratory exercise was conducted several times over multiple years at a small private undergraduate institution,…

Advantages of representing ternary and quaternary composition diagrams by means of rectangular coordinates were pointed out in a previous paper (EJ 288 693). A further advantage of that approach is that analytic geometry, based on rectangular coordinates, is directly applicable as demonstrated by the examples presented. (JN)

Considers the electrostatic problem of a point charge in a domain bounded by conducting planes. Lists all such domains for which a solution by images exists, describes the image charge arrays in familiar crystallographic terms, and gives an illustrative example. (Author/GS)

Chemical bonding, for most simple complexes, is described in the Mulliken-Walsh Molecular Orbital (MO) theory. (CP)

Reviews graphical methods for representing ternary and quaternary systems, focusing on use of triangular composition diagrams. Examines some of the relevant geometry of triangles in general, showing that right isosceles triangles possess some very advantageous features for representing ternary systems. (JN)

Presented is an activity in which students make models of viruses, which allows them to visualize the shape of these microorganisms. Included are some background on viruses, the biology and geometry of viruses, directions for building viruses, a comparison of cells and viruses, and questions for students. (KR)

The purpose of this article is to suggest ways of using research on children's reasoning and learning to elaborate on existing national standards and to improve large-scale and classroom assessments. The authors suggest that "learning progressions"--descriptions of successively more sophisticated ways of reasoning within a content domain based on…

Instructions are given for constructing two models, one to illustrate the general principles of symmetry in T=1, T=3, and T=4 viruses, and the other to illustrate the disposition of protein subunits in the T=3 plant viruses and the picornaviruses. (Author/CW)

The effect of intervening use of molecular visualization software was tested on 73 first-year general chemistry students. Pretests and posttests included both traditional multiple-choice questions and model-building activities. Overall students improved after working with the software, although students performed less well on the model-building…