I love chemistry in ways that few people would understand (unless they also happen to be a huge science geek like me.) It’s the central science, after all, with the rules of order and disorder both working for it at the same time. So what’s note to like?
Unfortunately, school sometimes takes all the fun out of the it by making kids memorize the periodic table and quizzing them about what color flames a certain element causes when it burns. Learning doesn’t have to be such a drag, though, and it doesn’t have to be so taxing either. That’s probably what Yiying Lu had in mind when she came up with interactive QR-enabled Periodic Table of Elements. Aside from each block containing the element’s symbol, name, atomic number, and atomic weight, it’s also got a teeny weeny QR code printed to the side. When you scan the code of the element you’re interested in, you’ll automatically be directed to the Wikipedia entry of that element where you can read all about it and get the bigger picture.
The best part? Lu has made her interactive periodic table free for everyone to download. You can get it here.