Chemical structures are usually drawn on paper as two-dimensional formulae, but molecules are three-dimensional objects. Their shape and the arrangement of atoms in space can have an important influence on their properties and reactions.
MolView allows you to draw or search for a molecule and then explore its structure as an interactive 3D model. You can rotate molecules, examine their geometry and compare different structures from different viewpoints.
It is particularly useful for exploring molecular shape, bond angles, organic structures, E/Z isomerism and optical isomerism, where being able to visualise the arrangement of atoms in three dimensions can make the chemistry much easier to understand.
Don’t simply look at the models. Rotate them, view them from different directions and use them to connect the structural formulae you draw on paper with the actual three-dimensional structures they represent.
YouTube Supporting Videos.
1. https://youtu.be/ZesFyuFj30s?si=8UAQnYqU5N9_qpaK
Open MolView and try building some molecules of your own. Start with familiar examples before moving on to structures where the three-dimensional arrangement of the atoms really matters.
Set the button to open in a new tab, so students can keep your FranklyChemistry page available for guidance.
Then I think we should add a short set of A-Level MolView challenges underneath—perhaps CH₄/NH₃/H₂O → E/Z isomerism → chirality. That would make the page much more useful than simply providing access to MolView.