They say two's company, but three's a crowd... unless you're talking about molecular bonding! Chemistry scholars experiment with two- versus three-atom bonding in an engaging simulation. Learners must place the third atom in a location that promotes bond formation between the original two atoms, all while observing changes in the energy of the system.

Concepts

atoms, molecules, chemical bonds, potential energy, kinetic energy

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Ask the class to explain why they placed the third atom where they did, then describe the outcome once the simulation has run
• Challenge students to a race! Award small prizes to the first three that cause bonding to occur in their simulations

Classroom Considerations

• Turn on the legend before running the interactive to differentiate between the kinetic energy of the bonding atoms and the non-bonding atom

Pros

• Interactive guides pupils in appropriate placement of the third atom, rejecting any placement that would not occur naturally
• The slow motion feature allows users to more closely observe changes in energy as the atoms interact

Cons

• None