Chemistry drawing software is one of the most popular programs among chemistry students and teachers. It provides a comprehensive framework to create different types of chemical structures, including videos and animations.
This article covers the best and free chemistry drawing software which are useful for creating chemical animations.
Equate Formula Solver
Equate is an app which collates a library of useful chemistry formulas, equations spanning across several topics, and enables the user to initially solve problems, and then challenge themselves with questions to apply their understanding and to build confidence in using these formulas. This comprehensive app for chemistry (available for Android and iOS) will help you understand the concept of a chemistry formula and identify various types of chemical formulas by name. This chemistry formula app is supported by individual Youtube links specific to the equation chosen and Wikipedia pages to help the user expand on their understanding and offer instant support.
Price: Free
Available: Android, iOS
Periodic Table
The Periodic Table app is probably one of the best chemistry apps to learn and test your knowledge about the periodic table elements. It delivers more than 30 useful facts for each element, audio clips for pronunciation, explanatory videos and mini quizzes. This app is an easy way for students to review the elements of the periodic table.
Periodic Table app is a free app for chemistry revision and a study aid for classroom use. This app offers reference information about each of Mendeleev’s elements under an intuitive design.
Price: Free
Available: Android
Starfall Catalyst for Students
This chemistry game is suitable for high school students who are learning atomic structure, chemical symbols, groups and periods of the periodic table. Starfall Catalyst is a third person shooter game where players are tasked with progressing through a fully 3D environment while unlocking chemistry concepts along the way. The app has over 20 challenging levels in three unique worlds, over 50 topics, with quizzes and mini games.
Price: Free
Available: iOS
Science Practical Simulator
Science Practical Simulator is an engaging app that allows both the modelling and completion of science practical activities in a safe and innovative way. The app covers a vast range of experiments typically taught in Chemistry such as Electrolysis, Making salts, Water purification and so on. Science Practical Simulator has been designed and made by teachers to help students both inside and outside the classroom.
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Available: Android, iOSDownload on iOS / Android
Periodic Table
There are lots of periodic table apps available, but this free app for Android and iOS is based on the Royal Society of Chemistry’s successful interactive website. Every single element is presented on Mendeleev’s table along with a host of useful information, images, videos and podcasts. See the trends and patterns that make up the table and quickly compare elements to one another. It’s all there and it’s free!
Price: Free
Available: Android, iOS
The Elements in Action
Elements is one of the best periodic elements app that brings back the metal and gases to life with some incredible footage of chemical elements filmed by BAFTA award winner Max Whitby. Every element in the periodic table is literally bursting with activity, displaying a teaser video that illustrates each element’s unique properties or uses.
Price: $6.99
Available: iOS
Learn Organic Chemistry
The app provides a quick summary of essential concepts in Organic Chemistry by following snack sized chapters.
Price: Free
Available: Android
High School : Inorganic Chemistry
High School Inorganic Chemistry is an American app suitable for K-12 (12th Grade 17-19) and Key Stage 5 and above for the UK equivalent. The app has a vast amount of content and concentrates on topics for Organic Chemistry with over 700 questions. Such topics include Elements, Compounds, Halogens and many more. The app contains detailed questions, test analysis of the students’ performance, hints for solving questions, progress graphs and more.
Price: Free
Available: iOS
Periodic Droid
The periodic table of elements is the stepping stone of chemistry, and everyone who wants to learn chemistry must first start by memorizing it. Of course, it’s not that easy as it sounds, but luckily for you, Periodic Droid comes to your help.
This Android chemistry app allows you to search for elements, it gives you information about each element and above all, it features a cool and very easy to navigate user interface, so you will not get lost in all that chemical knowledge. You can also search Wikipedia for information on certain elements and to test what you have learned, there is the possibility to take quizzes. Although it misses some features, such as chemical formulas or the possibility to solve problems, this app is well worth installing.
Price: Free
Available: Android
Learn Chemistry via Videos
This app provides a quick summary of essential concepts in Chemistry by snack sized chapters to memorize key concepts.
Price: Free
Available: Android
Test & Learn GCSE Chemistry
Students can test their knowledge of GCSE Chemistry with this brilliant Test & Learn app. It’s perfect for a bit of quick-fire revision whenever you’ve got a few minutes spare. The app has hundreds of multiple-choice questions, with short explanations of each answer.
Price: Free
Available: Android
Chemistry & Periodic Table
The Chemistry application allows you to discover chemical reactions and to solve the chemical equations with one or multiple unknown variables. The app can find the equations of chemical reactions even if the right or left part is unknown, it helps you with organic and inorganic chemistry. It is one of the best chemistry answers app available in the App Store.
Price: Free
Available: iOS
iChemistry™ Pro
iChemistry is your personal chemistry tutor. It is used by millions of students every day, and it’s the only app about chemistry that includes everything you need to successfully pass your exams.
Price: $2.99
Available: iOS
General Chemistry Course App
This comprehensive app for chemistry will help you quickly solve your homework problems, ace your tests, and quiz your understanding of basic chemistry concepts so you’re prepared for your courses.
Price: $4.79
Available: Android
Chem Pro: Chemistry Tutor
Chem pro is the best way to learn chemistry on the iPhone and iPod touch. The app includes nine sets of flash cards for memorizing all the needed elements and polyatomic ions, as well as some essential tools – a periodic table, a molar mass calculator, a unit converter, and an equation sheet, allowing you to save an enormous amount of time doing homework problems.
Price: Free
Available: iOS
GCSE Chemistry Prep Flashcards Exambusters
GCSE Chemistry Prep Flashcards is a helpful revision app that can be used anywhere by the students. It is great for quick revision while traveling or at home or during classroom breaks. This app will help you form quick associations between a key term and its meaning.
Price: Free
Available: iOS
OTHER SOFTWARES
- MarvinMarvin suite is a chemically intelligent desktop toolkit built to help you draw, edit, publish, render, import and export your chemical structures and as well as allowing you to convert between various chemical and graphical file formats. It is free…Free Linux Windows MacDrag n drop Google Chrome Extensions
- BKchemBKChem is a free (as in free software :o) chemical drawing program. It was conceived and written by Beda Kosata and is currently maintained by Reinis Danne. BKChem is written in Python, an interpreted and very nice programming language. This implies…Open Source Free Linux Windows MacDrawing 2D and 3D physics
- ACD/ChemSketchACD/ChemSketch is a chemically intelligent drawing interface that allows you to draw almost any chemical structure including organics, organometallics, polymers, and Markush structures. Use it to produce professional looking structures and diagrams …Free Personal Wine WindowsDrawing
6 - Gnome Chemistry UtilsThe Gnome Chemistry Utils include six chemistry related programs: – GChemPaint, a 2D chemical formula editor. – a chemical calculator (computes raw formule, molar weight, mass composition and isotopic pattern). – a molecule 3d viewer using OpenGL to…Open Source Free Linux
- Periodic table
- ChemDoodleIf you are looking for a chemical sketcher or an alternative to your current chemical drawing application, there is no better choice than ChemDoodle. ChemDoodle works on all operating systems (both 32 and 64 bit), has one of the largest feature sets…Commercial iPad iPhone Android Linux Windows Mac
- MollyCuleMollyCule is a completely free Open Source Chemistry visualisation program for MacOS, Linux and Windows. MollyCule is designed to be a nice, easy to use program to help ordinary people who want to explore Chemistry. It’s probably not ideal for PhD r…Open Source Free Linux Windows Mac
2 - JChemPaintJChemPaint is an editor and viewer for chemical structures in 2D. It is free and open source software, written in Java and so it runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux and Unix systems. There is a standalone application (editor), and two varieties of appl…Open Source Free Linux Windows Mac
1 - XDrawChemXDrawChem is a free software program for drawing chemical structural formulas, available for Unix and Mac OS. It is distributed under the GNU GPL. In Microsoft Windows this program is called WinDrawChem.Major features Fixed length and fixed angle dr…Open Source Free Linux Windows Mac
1 - ChemikCool Chemistry Tool – educational app for Students.Chemist will help you in chemical tasks! Use the Periodic Table just like a computer keyboard. With the Chemist you will learn everything you need to know about the elements, compounds and chemical …Freemium iPad Android Tablet iPhone AndroidPeriodic table Reactions
Conclusion
There are many online chemistry diagramming sites and applications, but only a few programs that are Mac friendly. The best thing about Chemsketch is it can be used on multiple operating systems, including Mac, Windows and Linux. This means you will not have to switch operating systems all the time just because you just need to access a certain software.