Chemistry Coding

The last month and a bit has gone by very expeditiously in Scimatics where we took part in a Chemistry Coding unit accompanied by our driving question; “How is the motion of atoms and molecules related to temperature.” The two main ideas we were studying included the “kinetic molecular theory” and the “atomic theory.” We quickly set to work forming questions about these topics that would help us throughout the course of this project. 

Without much knowledge on the topic, I assembled a mind map which contained some questions I had about the project and some things that I already knew:

To gain some more knowledge so we could efficiently complete this project we did some researching on our choice of atoms and molecules. We drew these so we could would later use them in our end result, a Scratch coded game. I decided to focus on carbon, oxygen and glucose, I included them in my matter simulator. The basic idea of my code was to pump out atoms and with the change of the temperature the atoms would slow down or speed up, relating back to the kinetic molecular theory. The whole point of this simulator was to explain what happens to atoms when the temperature is raised or reduced. At first I found it quite hard to comprehend Scratch but later on in the project it was like second nature, I could quite easily figure out how to code something that was needed in my project.

To learn more about atoms and the atomic theory we looked in to five different scientists theories of the atom, the oldest one being from John Dalton and the newest from Erwin Schrödinger. Dalton’s model was very basic and easy to comprehend, but throughout the years other scientists built on his model making it more complex and realistic. The atom that I thought was the best was Ernest Rutherford’s, in his model that electrons were orbiting around the nucleus. He was the first person to discover that atoms have a small charged nucleus surrounded by empty space and are circled by tiny electrons. Researching these models really help me understand what an atom actually is and what they look like.

We were being assessed on three different competencies, questioning and predicting, scientific communication, and reasoning and analyzing. 

I demonstrated an excellent understanding in the scientific communication competency by using several different atoms and molecules, different states of matter and showing particle motion. I added a historical model of the atom and implemented in to my game. I communicated many ideas, findings and solutions to problems. This was the first time being assessed on this certain competency and for a first attempt, I did very well. I probably could’ve improved on a few things but I got the overall understanding.

The second competency was reasoning and analyzing. I also demonstrated proficiency for this by creating and interactive coded matter simulator with logical conditions and functional user controls. My simulator was purely controlled by the user so they could do whatever they please. 

The final competency was questioning and predicting, with every Scimatics project this is one of the competencies and I normally do quite well on it and once again, I did. I demonstrated a sustained curiosity about matter and the kinetic molecular theory while using my class time somewhat efficiently without distractions. I can always improve on this competency by staying even more on topic but sometimes I need a break from working so I go off topic for a few minutes.

Now that this project has finished, I have learnt two big things. One being how to code and the other being knowing what the kinetic molecular theory and atomic theory are. I could still learn much more about these theories but I now have a good understanding on what they are and what purpose they serve. I came in to this project with zero understanding of atoms and molecules and now by the end I could tell you things that I didn’t even knew existed. I found that this project wasn’t really for me but it was an interesting way to combine chemistry with coding.