Reactants, Products and Leftovers

In the past few years, humanity has learned the importance of flexibility regarding the vital process of education. With classes being converted into digital format, and pupils studying from the comfort of their home, the need for specialized software arose in order to fill the gap of physical experimentation.

One particular field which benefits greatly from such experiments is represented by the world of chemistry, a fascinating staple of science that propelled humanity further in its quest for constant progress. Thanks to the Colorado-based PhET project, students of all ages can experience the joy of learning about Reactants, Products and Leftovers through a dedicated web app.

Whether you are a teacher searching for a way to combine practicality with online schooling, or a student trying to bring lab experiments into a portable format, this handy application can help anyone understand how chemical reactions form and where the concept of “limiting reactants” comes into play.

During a chemical reaction, a reactant can limit the amounts of products formed by the reaction itself. This reactant is referred to as the limiting reactant, leaving behind certain compounds that remain unused as a result of the reaction being finalized.

In terms of the interface, the user is greeted by a menu comprising three separate reaction categories when booting the application. The first one replaces chemical compounds with sandwiches for an easier understanding of chemical reactions. A default sandwich structure can be built using two bread slices, one piece of meat and a single sliver of cheese, all of which are considered reactants before the reaction.

Once the reaction occurs, the full sandwiches are considered products, and the remaining ingredients that could not form a sandwich are categorized into leftovers. The second reaction type involves actual chemical reactants such as hydrogen and oxygen to form water, or nitrogen and hydrogen to make ammonia.

Finally, a “Game” tab lets the user test their knowledge using three levels of random questions which can be timed and customized for easier or harder difficulty. When selecting a level, users have to find out how many reactants and of which type are necessary in order to have a chemical reaction with the products and leftovers resulted on the right side of the screen.

Learn about chemical reactions and limiting reactants using this convenient web app that lets you experiment, practice and test your knowledge through a minimalist interface.