Development and Valuation of a Chemical Education System Using a Graphic Data Base of 3-D Structure of Molecules

在人类文明生活的今天，人们需要更多地了解化学物质的作用和性质。在化学教学中，我们利用分子的三维结构图形库，开发了一个微型计算机辅助教学系统。该系统由7个软件组成，包括：(1)化合物的名称、分子式、相对分子质量和分子结构；(2)球棒模型、空间填充模型和立体视觉；(3)物理性质的简要信息、来源、制备方法、反应、用途、这些软件的标题分别是：(1)“基本有机化合物”、(2)“分子与生命”、(3)“蛋白质与核酸”、(4)“生物活性物质”、(5)“基本有机化合物2”、(6)“富勒烯C&lt的分子数据分子图形”；这些软件被日本化学软件协会作为自由软件向公众开放，并受到高度重视，并于1994年被授予该学会的技术企业。这些软件将在不久的将来以光盘为媒介集成并出版。进一步计划开发一种将生活必需品和自然资源的静止视频或视频与分子的图形连接起来的多媒体软件。

Today, a civilized way of living and our lives are supported by many chemical substances.Accordingly, people need to know more of the roles and the properties of chemical substances.For chemical education we have developed a micro-computer aided instruction system using a graphic data base of 3-D structure of molecules.The system consists of seven softwares which contain (1) names, molecular formulae, molecular weights, and molecular structures of compounds, (2) the molecular graphics both ball-stick model and space filling model and stereovision, (3) brief informations on physical properties, the origin, methods of preparation, reaction, uses, bio-activities of about 500 species of compounds.These softwares were named "Electronic picture book of molecules" because they are characterized by 3-D molecular graphics.The titles of each software are (1)"Basic organic compounds", (2)"Molecules and life", (3)"Protein and nucleic acids", (4)"Bio-active substances", (5)"Basic organic compounds 2", (6)"Molecular data molecular graphics of fullerenes C_<60>-C_<84>", and (7)"A software for learning chemistry : The world of molecules illustrated by pc".These software were open to the public by the chemical software society of Japan as free software and valued highly and awarded a "technical" prise of the society in 1994.In the near future these softwares will be intergrated and published using CD-ROM as media.The development of a multimedia software which connects still-video or video of the necessities of life and natural resources with graphics of molecules is planned further.