Elements Explorer, a multimedia guide to the periodic table, provides an electronic source for the periodic table, as well as information on the chemical elements. Over 300 articles on the chemical elements and related topics from McGraw‐Hill’s Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, 8th ed., and David Heiserman’s Exploring Chemical Elements and their Compounds can be accessed through this product. Among the many features available: the ability to compare elements by their properties, including atomic weight and number, melting and boiling points, specific gravity, chemical valence, configuration, latent heat of fusion, ionic radius, isotopes, discovery dates, and much more. User‐friendly search options include wildcards, word stemming, multiple search boolean terms and proximity; detailed analysis of each element, including 3‐D crystalline structure animations, chemical and physical properties, commercial uses, plus sharp photo images of elements in solid form; links to related articles from each element information page; and a tutorial audio narrative of the organization and history of the periodic table. This product can be used by students in junior high school through graduate studies and beyond. The system requirements for the PC/IBM compatible include: Windows 3.1 or higher, 486DX/66 Mhz or higher, 8 MB RAM or higher, double‐speed CD‐ROM drive, 256‐color VGA monitor, and sound card. Macintosh system requirements are: Macintosh 68040 or higher, 8 MB RAM or higher, 10 MB free hard‐disk space, double‐speed CD‐ROM drive, System 7.1 or higher, 256‐color VGA monitor. The CD can be purchased in the single‐user version at $150 or in the network version priced at $295.
This type of product has been needed in the chemical and physical sciences for a long time; and McGraw‐Hill has released an exciting and easy‐to‐use multimedia guide to the periodic table. The user can click on any element, find out its properties, compare those figures to any other element on the table, match up similar or dissimilar elements, view 3‐D representations and/or solid photo images of these elements, and access up‐to‐date articles. The CD was easy to load; and the network version can be loaded in junior high/high school science laboratories for easy access. Anyone involved in chemistry and related sciences should have this product loaded onto their PC. The price seems very reasonable for the vast amount of information available at the user’s fingertips. I highly recommend this product.
