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phetsims / build-an-atom

"Build an Atom" is an educational simulation in HTML5, by PhET Interactive Simulations.
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/build-an-atom
GNU General Public License v3.0
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User suggestion: Number of particles #212

Open oliver-phet opened 4 years ago

oliver-phet commented 4 years ago

We've received numerous requests to increase the number of particles available to allow building more elements but this is the first user that provided a useful reason to do this.

We were using the Build an Atom sim for students to discover some organization of the periodic table and realized that it isn’t quite suited to the task because it limits the number of protons, neutrons and electrons to about 10. I’m sure you have good reasons for this. It is more than enough to look at ion charges, instability of the nucleus, etc. But it limits its usefulness in detecting some of the beautiful patterns that connect the periodic table’s organization to the underlying atomic structure.

My students and I have two suggestions:

  1. If we had the ability to make bigger elements (at least those in period 3), we could compare two elements in the same group or period more easily.
  2. If the sim did not permanently show the electron orbits, students might be able to see the concept of valence electrons more clearly. Perhaps an orbit would not show up until an electron gets added to it.
arouinfar commented 1 year ago

Both of these suggestions sound like fairly major changes, and my initial reaction is that they go beyond the scope of the sim's learning goals. However, I think it still warrants review with the design team next time this sim is scheduled to be republished. Unassigning myself.