Wide accessibility and a broad range of applications have made 3D-printers a commonplace tool in the science community. From tier-one research institutions to community public libraries and high schools, 3D-printers are being used to enrich STEM education through a variety of learning techniques and experiences. Reports of 3D-printed models for…

Augmented reality (AR) is a means of superimposing artificial 3D objects over the real world via a mobile device. An AR standard file format has been recently implemented on mobile devices that current students commonly own. Here we describe three relatively nontechnical methods to produce 3D AR objects for chemistry courses and demonstrate their…

Using tangible models to help students visualize chemical structures in three dimensions has been a mainstay of chemistry education for many years. Conventional chemistry modeling kits are, however, limited in the types and accuracy of the molecules, bonds and structures they can be used to build. The recent development of 3D printing technology…

Consumer-grade manufacturing tools such as 3D printers are becoming increasingly prevalent in STEM education environments, especially as tools to develop inexpensive, tactile visualization models. Presented here is a workflow for creating 3D-printed periodic tables displaying a variety of trends from traditionally taught relationships such as…

Introductory chemistry students encounter the concept of hybrid orbitals as a transition from atomic orbitals to molecular bonding. The principal purpose of learning hybridization in the undergraduate curriculum is to impart an understanding of the origins of molecular bonding and geometry. Physical models of both individual hybrid orbitals and…

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) is a technology with near-unlimited potential for the chemical educator. However, its adoption into higher education has been limited by the dual requirements of expertise in 3D printing and 3D computer-aided design (CAD). Thus, its reported utilization in the chemistry curriculum has been within the creation…