Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources
edited by
JCE WebWare: Web-Based Learning Aids
Teaching Molecular Symmetry
with JCE WebWare
Interactive, Web-based teaching tools: that is what
JCE WebWare is all about. This month we present two
great tools that illustrate and help teach molecular sym-
metry. They are also examples of two types of Web-based
teaching tools you can find at JCE WebWare: digital as-
sets and learning objects.
3D Molecular Symmetry Shockwave is a companion
application to 3D Normal Modes Shockwave by the same
See https://pubs.acs.org/sharingguidelines for options on how to legitimately share published articles.
authors, and published previously in this Journal (1). These
applications use the Shockwave Web browser plug-in (2) to
provide interactive, Web-based 3D animations of concepts
that may be difficult for many students. With 3D Molecu-
lar Symmetry Shockwave, instructors and students can choose
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a molecule, orient it appropriately on the screen, choose any
of its symmetry elements, and animate the corresponding
symmetry operation in three dimensions.
An Animated Interactive Overview of Molecular Symme-
try uses Jmol, a Java-based browser applet (3), in an inter-
active tutorial for teaching molecular symmetry. Students
learn molecular symmetry by working through a series of
instructional Web pages illustrated and enhanced with inter-
active Jmol structures.
3D Molecular Symmetry Shockwave is an example of a
digital asset: a document, image, video, animation, etc. that
can be used—and reused—in many different settings. For
example, by including appropriate facts, concepts, principles,
etc., you could use this animation in lecture as a demon-
stration, to enhance a seminar presentation, or as part of a
student tutorial exercise or homework assignment. There are
many such digital assets available in JCE WebWare; just add
your own context to use it your way!
By contrast, An Animated Interactive Overview of
Molecular Symmetry is an example of a learning object: a self-
contained lesson, with a single learning objective. Learning
objects include both digital assets (in this case the Jmol ani-
mations) along with facts, concepts, principles, etc. to form
complete, self-contained learning units: the digital equiva-
lent perhaps to a chapter subtopic in a textbook. Although
they are ready to use as is, you can still modify learning ob-
jects as you need.
You can explore these and other digital assets and learn-
ing objects in the peer-reviewed and open review collections
of JCE WebWare at http://www.JCE.DivCHED.org/JCEDLib/
WebWare/. We invite you to submit digital assets and learning
objects that you have created for use in your classroom to JCE
WebWare, either for our open review collection or to be peer
reviewed for formal publication.
JCE WebWare—a dynamic feature column
http://www.jce.divched.org/JCEDLib/WebWare/
www.JCE.DivCHED.org • Vol. 82 No. 11 November 2005
William F. Coleman
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA 02481
Edward W. Fedosky
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Madison, WI 53715
3D Molecular Symmetry Shockwave:
A Web Application for Interactive Visualiza-
tion and Three-Dimensional Perception of
Molecular Symmetry
by Nickolas D. Charistos, Constantinos A. Tsipis, and
Michael P. Sigalas, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,
Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Applied
Quantum Chemistry, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Keywords: Chemoinformatics; Physical Chemistry; First-Year
Undergraduate / General; Second-Year Undergraduate;
Upper-Division Undergraduate; Computer-Based Learning;
Internet / Web-Based Learning; Group Theory / Symmetry;
Molecular Modeling; Molecular Properties / Structure
Requires: Web browser with Macromedia Shockwave plug-in
installed
One of the ongoing challenges in teaching chemistry
is helping students explore various structural features of
molecules. It can be difficult for students to visualize the
three-dimensional shape of a molecule from a two-dimen-
sional printed image. Using a molecular modelling kit in
the classroom helps, but such models can be difficult for
students to see when demonstrated by an instructor. These
difficulties are more pronounced in teaching symmetry,
especially recognition of various symmetry elements
within a molecule and conceptualization of the symme-
try operations.
3D Molecular Symmetry Shockwave is a Web-based ap-
plication for interactive visualization and three-dimensional
perception of molecular symmetry. The user interface is
simple, and students learn how to use the program from
the built-in help screens. The animation uses the Macro-
media Shockwave browser plug-in, and requires a download
of only 256 KB, allowing it to be used even with low band-
width Internet connections. Its performance is comparable
to a desktop application.
With 3D Molecular Symmetry Shockwave students and
instructors can:
• Display molecules in ball-and-stick or wireframe rep-
resentation
• Display each symmetry element of a molecule in a
3D environment and animate the corresponding sym-
metry operation
• Rotate, translate, or zoom a molecule to any viewpoint
• Journal of Chemical Education 1741
 Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources
Figure 1. The main screen from Symmetry Elements mode of 3D Mo-
lecular Symmetry Shockwave.
• Store and recall preferred viewpoints of the molecule
for later use
• View information about the selected molecule, its sym-
metry elements and its point group
3D Molecular Symmetry Shockwave also serves as a search-
able database of structural and symmetry data for 47 organic
and inorganic molecules, including all symmetry point groups
of chemical interest. This database can be accessed in two
modes. In the Symmetry Elements mode the user can search
the database to find all molecules having symmetry elements
of a certain type (for example Cn) or a particular symmetry
element (␴v). In the Point Groups mode the user can search
the database to find all molecules having a point group of a
certain type (Cnh) or a particular point group (D2d).
The main screen from Symmetry Elements mode is
shown in Figure 1. A user has searched the database to find
all molecules having C3 rotation axes. She has selected cubane
from the results, and one of its six C3 rotation axes, and is
ready to start the animation of this symmetry operation.
The main screen from Point Groups mode is shown in
Figure 2. A user has searched the database to find all mol-
ecules having point groups of Dnd type. He has selected fer-
rocene from the list of molecules, and one of its two C5
rotation axes, and is ready to start the animation.
3D Molecular Symmetry Shockwave is suitable for un-
dergraduate students in chemistry, and can be used with
typical textbooks (4, 5) as a self-paced learning tool, as well
as a presentation tool.
1742 Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 82 No. 11 November 2005
Figure 2. The main screen from Point Groups mode of 3D Molecu-
lar Symmetry Shockwave.
Symmetry Elements and Operations and Symmetry and
Point Groups are similar programs for Mac OS and Win-
dows respectively, previously published by JCE Software (6,
7). However, they have limited capabilities of manipulating
a molecule and its symmetry elements in a 3D environment.
Also, they do not have a database of molecules that can be
searched according to specific symmetry criteria. On the
other hand, Symmetry and Point Groups does lead students
through a flow chart of questions to help them identify the
point group of a molecule, a feature that is not available in
3D Molecular Symmetry Shockwave.
Literature Cited
1. Charistos, N. D.; Tsipis, C. A.; Sigalas, M. P. J. Chem. Educ.
2004, 81, 1231–1232.
2. The Shockwave Player may be downloaded at http://
www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/ (accessed Sep
2005)
3. Jmol may be downloaded at http://jmol.sourceforge.net (accessed
Sep 2005).
4. Douglas, B. E.; Holingsworth, C. A. Symmetry in Bonding and
Spectra, An Introduction; Academic Press: New York, 1985.
5. Cotton, F. A. Chemical Applications of Group Theory, 2nd ed.;
John Wiley & Sons: New York, 1971.
6. Vining, William J.; Grosso, Robert P., Jr. J. Chem. Educ. 2003,
80, 110.
7. Lee, A. W. M.; Leung, K. M.; Kwong, D. W. J.; Chan, C.
L. J. Chem. Educ. Software 8C2.
• www.JCE.DivCHED.org