Alchemist is a scientific program to demonstrate the filling of atomic
shells in a graphical manner. The various shells are represented in two
different window, one for demonstrating visually how the electrons fill,
and the other, to show any atom's electron configuration.
The DemoOrbitals Window
-------------------------------
The DemoOrbitals Window is the first of the two user windows. It
displays the nucleus as a large purple sphere at the bottom of the screen.
Placed above the nucleus are each of the shells in energy order, from
1s to 5p.
Each subshell is named to the left for easy reference. In each s subshell
there are 2 electrons, each p subshell, 6 electrons, and each d subshell
has 10 electrons. For demonstration purposes, each pair of electrons is
sourrounded by an oval shape representing one orbital. Each orbital can
hold two electrons, one with a spin of positive one-half, the other with a
spin of negative one-half.
As the electrons fill in their respective orbitals, they appear as either
a red or blue sphere. These represent the electrons of different spin.
The electrons follow the determined path of filling according to the
diagonal rule except for several elements which deviate from the norm.
For demonstration purpose, it would be wise to, at first, avoid the atoms
of #24: Chromium, #29: Copper, #41: Niobium, #42: Molybdenum, #44: Ruthenium, #45: Rhodium, #46: Palladium, and #47: Silver. These specific atoms are irregular in their electron filling and you may show these later if you wish.
The FullOrbital Window
--------------------------
This window is much the same as the DemoOrbital window with the
exception that its range it much greater. The FullOrbital window extends
up to atoms of atomic number 118. This particular window may be
helpful for determining the exact electron configuration of any existing
element. Again, the subshells are named on the left and ghost images of
electrons show where electrons will fill. There are no ovals showing
individual orbitals, but the filling follows the same pattern as in
DemoOrbitals.
Working the Program
------------------------
There are three main buttons each user window:
• The Start Button
• The Refresh Button
• The Help! Button
The Start Button
This button will start the filling of the electrons according to the rules
associated with electron filling. The button uses the number set in the
Set Atom# and Delay menu, which will be explained later. To begin
the filling of shells, simply place the mouse over the button and depress.
When you let go of the mouse button, the filling will begin. **By pressing
down the mouse button at any time during the filling process, you can
speed up the filling process.**
The Refresh Button
To refresh the screen and erase any previously drawn electron
configurations, simply use this button. It is located directly below and
to the left of the Start Button.
The Help! Button
The Help! Button brings you to a screen that gives a breif explanation
as to the purpose of Alchemist, and also gives the key to the Atomic
Display given after the filling of each atom's shells. By pressing the
Okay button, you dismiss the window.
The Menus
--------------
There are four menu items located at the top of your screen in the
Chicago font. They are the following:
• File
• Edit
• Section
• Settings
The File Menu
The File menu is used for program instruction. Located under the File
menu are two items: Print and Quit. Print will bring up a printing menu,
and you can print the window to any attached printer. Quit exits the
program and sends you back to the finder. You can invoke some menu
items using Command Key Seqounces. The key sequence for Print is
Command-P. for Quit use Command-Q.
The Edit Menu
The Edit menu will usually be dimmed during normal use of Alchemist.
However, in dialog boxes where you can enter a value or name, you are
allowed to copy, paste, cut, and clear as you would normally.
The Section Menu
To change from the DemoOrbitals window to the FullOrbitals window,
use this menu and choose the window from under the menu. The window
will switch and all electron configurations will apply to that window.
The Settings Menu
To set the atomic number and delay time, use the Settings menu.
Under the Settings menu there are two items:
• Set Atom # and Delay
• Enter Element
Set Atom # and Delay
This dialog box allows you to set the atomic number of the element to
be modeled, and also the delay time between the electrons showing. To
set the atomic number, simply type in the number in the first field.
The delay time is set up in 60ths of a second. A value of 60 means you
wait 1 second for each electron to show up. You can change this value
to demonstrate the order in which electrons fill shells.
Enter Element
In this dialog box, you can enter the name of an element, or the symbol.
You need not know the atomic number of the element. Type in the name
or symbol (e.g. Cu, Copper or copper for the element #29: Copper) and
Alchemist will determine the proper number for that element, and display
the correct configuration of subshell arrangement. Setting the delay
time remains the same as in the other dialog.
The Inner Workings
---------------------
You must realize that what you see is only a model of a real atom.
Different colors are used to differentiate between electrons of opposite
spin, and are fixed in position above the nucleus. In reality, the
electrons in an orbital make up an electron cloud, effectively occupying
the space of a three dimensional object. The electrons are not draw to
scale with the nucleus, and orbital enclosings are shown to convey a
sense of visuality to an element. The filling of the shells appropriately
simulates how electrons in elements fill according to current theory,
and the exceptions are portrayed accurately. This program can prove
useful in demonstrating a difficult process to visualize. Used as a
teachers aid, it can help students to grasp the arcane methods of the
atom, and all its wonders.
The Author
---------------
The Author of Alchemist can be contacted at any of the following:
• Internet: xxvii@mwci.net
• Snail Mail: 640 Lorimer, Dubuque, IA 52003
Please contact me with any opinions, concerns, or suggestions about
this program. Report any bugs or incompatibilities to any of the above
addresses. I would like to make each of my programs as useful and
user friendly as possible. Only your suggestions can help me to further
