Peer Review

WebElements

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: May 10, 2003 by Chemistry

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This is a periodic chart applet. It is easily THE most complete and detailed
web based periodic chart available.

It provides a wealth of data such as element history, uses, geology, biology,
reactions of the element, compounds, bond enthalpies, radii in compounds,
lattice energies, reduction potentials, electronic configurations, ionization
energies, electron affinities, electronegativities, effective nuclear charge,
electron binding energies, atom radii, valence shell radii, bulk properties,
thermal properties, thermodynamic properties, crystal structure, NMR, naturally
occurring isotopes, radioisotopes, and even a compound index!
Type of Material:: This is an interactive applet.
Recommended Uses:: This periodic chart should be used by all 1st year chemistry instructors and by
researchers who need quick access to elemental properties.

It should also be used by students for individual learning, for review prior to
examinations/tests, and to complete assignments.
Technical Requirements:: A color monitor is VERY useful because of the color coding of the elements and
the changes in color when different functions are selected.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: The goal of this chart is to provide every conceivable piece of information
known about any particular element in the periodic chart and allow students to
discover these properties.
Target Student Population:: All categories of students from high school through graduate school can learn
from this object. Even faculty can use it to rapidly access physical data.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Students from 1st year to professionals will make use of this chart. It does
not require any prior skill, save the knowledge of what the periodic chart
actually is.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: This is easily the most complete periodic chart this reviewer has ever
encountered.

The wealth of material is amazing! This reviewer clicked on silicon and was
transported to a page that linked to key data, history, uses, geology, biology,
reactions of silicon, compounds, bond enthalpies, radii in compounds, lattice
energies, reduction potentials, electronic configurations, ionization energies,
electron affinities, electronegativities, effective nuclear charge, electron
binding energies, atom radii, valence shell radii, bulk properties, thermal
properties, thermodynamic properties, crystal structure, NMR, naturally
occurring isotopes, radioisotopes, and a compound index. Each link leads to
superbly presented data.

A click on silicon (IV) fluoride lead to a screen giving synonyms, physical
properties, synthesis (not available in this example), isotope pattern, supplier
and references to the primary literature!

Humor is nor forgotten as cartoons are liberally strewn through the web site.
Concerns:: The Kossel shell description of electron configurations is very much
NON-standard and is likely to raise more questions among students than it is
worth. It should be relegated to a place of less prominence.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: It is very easy to move across groups to show property changes, electron
configuration changes within a group or a period, to move to adjacent elements.

This is an excellent source of factual and visual information about the
elements
and their compounds. It can be used directly by the instructor in a
traditional lecture presentation and can also be used by students for individual
study/review/assignment completion.
Concerns:: There are no apparent gaps of any kind in this presentation. All 1st year
chemistry instructors should use it.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The applet loads quickly and is very easily navigable. The alphabetical
selection of elements is a quick tool for element location. The navigation
controls are well placed and convenient. Certain functions pull up separate
windows which is a real strength to keep the user anchored at the main site.

Other Issues and Comments:: This is the best periodic table discovery object that I have seen either on the

web or as stand alone software.
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