Use of a PhET Interactive Simulation in General Chemistry Laboratory: Models of the Hydrogen Atom

Abstract

An activity supporting the PhET interactive simulation, Models of the Hydrogen Atom, has been designed and used in the laboratory portion of a general chemistry course. This article describes the framework used to successfully accomplish implementation on a large scale. The activity guides students through a comparison and analysis of the six atomic models presented in the simulation, which provides explicit visual representations of abstract concepts. When used together, the activity and simulation address the important and challenging topic of science as model development, and offer students insight into the nature of science. Survey results indicate a positive response from students for laboratory activities, like this one, that include computer simulations.