December 1, 2011 (Vol. 31, No. 21)
URL:
http://www.appolicious.com/education/apps/278885-the-elementals-simon-madine
Rating:
Strong Points: Colorful, attractive layout
Weak Points: No in-depth information about elements
Platform:
iPad
Cost:
Free
Summary:
For many of my reviews, I emphasize the utility of the website/app. However, I also believe that it is appropriate to occasionally give credit to the cuteness of a resource. The Elementals is an app that is one big bundle of cuteness—I challenge you to find a more whimsical periodic table of the elements! The app itself is very simple—for every element of the periodic table, an animated representation of that element (color-coded according to category, such as noble gases, and with its electrons roughly depicted) appears at the top of the screen. Users can drag the little character around, but for no apparent purpose. The periodic table provides atomic number and molecular weight in addition to categorizing the elements, so this app is actually a handy reference for students. Handy and cute—which I’m sure will get some students looking at the periodic table more often.
