The Molecules & Minds simulations were developed to help give your high school student a better understanding of some key concepts in chemistry. These concepts can be hard to understand because they involve motion which cannot be seen by the naked eye, and which is not easily demonstrated by still pictures in textbooks. Our research has shown that learning is enhanced when simulations are used to supplement class work and textbooks.
For example, Kinetic Molecular Theory states that all matter is composed of particles that are in constant motion. If your child is learning about the gas laws, not only is the gas invisible, but so are the particles, and so is their motion. The Molecules & Minds simulations provide a moving representation of all those factors, plus they allow your child to manipulate a variable and see the effect it has on another variable. In other words, your child will see the moving gas particles within a container, and when she raises the temperature, she will see that the particles move more quickly, raising the pressure of that gas.
Please explore this site to learn more about the simulations, and how you can help your child master these critical concepts that are everywhere around us!