This is what we imagine Harry Potter’s Chemistry book looks like. It’s a stunning--but somewhat confusing to use--iPad adaptation of Theodore Grey’s dead-tree book of the same name. The Elements presents you with a periodic table, complete with animated elements. Tapping on one brings up a page with 360-degree animations, as well as all the scientific details of the element in question.
The Elements offers a large amount of data for each individual element. Atomic weights, densities, melting points, boiling points, and tons more stats are available for each entry. We were particularly fascinated by one section that details each element’s percentage in the ocean, and in the human body, as well as other “containers” such as the universe, the sun, or the Earth’s crust. A secondary page offers additional information, and 3D rotatable images (optional glasses sold separately) of substances and objects that contain each element. We loved the gobs of data we could glean from the app, and if that’s not enough you can tap a button to search the WolframAlpha computational engine for even more geeky science awesomeness.
If our science textbooks had been this cool, we’d have ended up as doctors or chemical engineers instead of tech journalists.
The Elements: A Visual Exploration 1.0.1
COMPANY: Element Collection, Inc.
CONTACT: www.periodictable.com
PRICE: $13.99
REQUIREMENTS: iPad
The Periodic Table is exciting for the first time ever. Offers tons of info at a glance, and searches WolframAlpha for even more.
The app can be crashy. Heavy on data points, but light on help to understand the data you're looking at.
