## Two FREE tools you probably didn't even know you had!

blogfast25 - 22-12-2015 at 06:42

1. LaTex formula rendering tool:

Before:

y=ax^3-5/sqrt(2z)

Huh? Bweurk...

AFTER:

$$y=ax^3-\frac{5}{\sqrt{2z}}$$

Better, you think?

This site's 'best kept secret' is that it is LaTex enabled. The G-ds up the SM Mountain regaled us with this gift but forgot to send the memo!

And wherever you see cool LaTex, just right click on it and steal that code and cut/paste/modify to your lion heart's content. Cool or cool?

2. ChemSketch FREE version:

Ok, this one you need to download. Render those pesky chemical formulas like a PRO:

Don't get aga to sing the praises of this unbelievably brilliant piece of FREE (forever) software, because he'll never shut up again!

Look at molecules in 3D, rotating them as if you're holding them in your hand!

http://www.acdlabs.com/resources/freeware/chemsketch/

Plenty video tutorials if you get stuck. Or ask here (within reason).

 Quote: ACD/ChemSketch Freeware is a drawing package that allows you to draw chemical structures including organics, organometallics, polymers, and Markush structures. It also includes features such as calculation of molecular properties (e.g., molecular weight, density, molar refractivity etc.), 2D and 3D structure cleaning and viewing, functionality for naming structures (fewer than 50 atoms and 3 rings), and prediction of logP.

** JUST KIDDING!

[Edited on 22-12-2015 by blogfast25]

Praxichys - 22-12-2015 at 07:05

Is there any way we can get a LaTeX plugin for chemistry? Something as basic as chemfig would be phenomenal and reduce the number of images uploaded.

blogfast25 - 22-12-2015 at 07:16

 Quote: Originally posted by Praxichys Is there any way we can get a LaTeX plugin for chemistry? Something as basic as chemfig would be phenomenal and reduce the number of images uploaded.

It would be GREAT. But that's top management decision time. Nought I can do about that, personally.

Start a petition?

blogfast25 - 22-12-2015 at 07:37

Even simple inorganic reactions can be rendered in LaTex, see this template, e.g.:

$$\mathrm{Mg}(s)+2\mathrm{H_3O^+}(aq) \to \mathrm{Mg^{2+}}(aq)+\mathrm{H_2}(g)+2\mathrm{H_2O}(l)$$

Praxichys - 22-12-2015 at 07:41

Of course, but that's child's play compared to chemfig. Have a look at this documentation:

http://texdoc.net/texmf-dist/doc/generic/chemfig/chemfig_doc...

Metacelsus - 22-12-2015 at 07:45

Ooh, let me test it out!

$$E = E_0 - \frac{RT}{nF}*ln(Q)$$

(Thanks, gdflp.)

[Edited on 12-22-2015 by Cheddite Cheese]

gdflp - 22-12-2015 at 07:51

It needs "$$" on each side of the LaTeX code for the forum to recognize it as LaTeX. And blogfast, you just missed the memo blogfast25 - 22-12-2015 at 08:05  Quote: Originally posted by gdflp And blogfast, you just missed the memo 2002, yes, before AD Blogfast25.$$E = E_0 - \frac{RT}{nF}\ln(Q)$$Look mum, without the 'computer' asterisk! [Edited on 22-12-2015 by blogfast25] blogfast25 - 22-12-2015 at 08:09  Quote: Originally posted by Praxichys Of course, but that's child's play compared to chemfig. Have a look at this documentation: http://texdoc.net/texmf-dist/doc/generic/chemfig/chemfig_doc... 100 % no contest. I use chemfig elsewhere. JJay - 22-12-2015 at 08:25$$\LaTeX \text{is sexy.} \\ P(i_0 \le x \le i_1) = \sum_{i=i_0}^{i_1} p(i=x)$$Is there any way to render LaTeX code outside of math mode? That would be required for chemfig. blogfast25 - 22-12-2015 at 13:47  Quote: Originally posted by JJay Is there any way to render LaTeX code outside of math mode? That would be required for chemfig. I've no idea how that works. Wouldn't they be simply independent scripts? Etaoin Shrdlu - 22-12-2015 at 14:39 There's an mhchem addon for MathJax, but it appears not to have been implemented on the forum. (At least I can't get it to work in preview mode.) blogfast25 - 22-12-2015 at 14:50  Quote: Originally posted by Etaoin Shrdlu There's an mhchem addon for MathJax, but it appears not to have been implemented on the forum. (At least I can't get it to work in preview mode.) Great as ChemSketch is, an in-forum chem rendering tool might be lighter on the servers (instead of image uploading by members). [Edited on 22-12-2015 by blogfast25] Etaoin Shrdlu - 22-12-2015 at 15:56 There is one, the openmolecules.org system. I don't know if mhchem for MathJax has structure support but it is nice to just type \ce{2 C6H12O6} and have it come out$$2 \ \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6$$Because that looks like this in normal Latex:  Code: $$2 \ \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6$$ That can be done with normal forum code too but it's still a mess. Reactions are so much easier to type and edit with mhchem. (Inline MathJax support would also be nice but I really have no idea how difficult it is to implement any of this.) [Edited on 12-22-2015 by Etaoin Shrdlu] blogfast25 - 22-12-2015 at 17:14 @Etaoin: Whatever the solution, it'd be nice to have something like that: it seems a little outdated that Anno 2015 SM has nothing in place, when the site is mainly about chemistry. JJay - 22-12-2015 at 21:20 Quote: Originally posted by blogfast25  Quote: Originally posted by JJay Is there any way to render LaTeX code outside of math mode? That would be required for chemfig. I've no idea how that works. Wouldn't they be simply independent scripts? I don't think it would be as easy to set up as just dropping the scripts in a directory.... chemrox - 18-3-2016 at 22:07 chemsketch requires registration and the word "mandatory" is anathema to moi. It just seems to me that limit notation is part of the history and theory and is itself limited as has been mentioned. I guess I'm prejudiced because I use mostly partials. And rarely do physics. But I have explained calculus using the concept of limits and have reminded myself how it all works by writing out the ideas with limit notation. brubei - 18-3-2016 at 22:58 Let edit all the post ! j_sum1 - 18-3-2016 at 23:09  Quote: Originally posted by chemrox chemsketch requires registration and the word "mandatory" is anathema to moi. It just seems to me that limit notation is part of the history and theory and is itself limited as has been mentioned. I guess I'm prejudiced because I use mostly partials. And rarely do physics. But I have explained calculus using the concept of limits and have reminded myself how it all works by writing out the ideas with limit notation. A bit nonsequential, chemrox. It seems like you are answering several threads at once. I downloaded and use chemsketch. No registration was required. This might be a recent change. Avogadro is similar but not as powerful. Limit notation in calculus, or more accurately, analysis -- seems an ok way to write the concept. Or, more to the point, if you understand the concept, the notation is pretty efficient. Beginning with the notation and then trying to insert the concept is a way to introduce confusions, but that is a pedagogical issue and not unique to limits at all. Liebniz notation does have advantages over function notation but I think I sumarised the position in the other thread. blogfast25 - 19-3-2016 at 06:44  Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1 I downloaded and use chemsketch. No registration was required. Same here: no registration was needed. [Edited on 19-3-2016 by blogfast25] The Volatile Chemist - 9-4-2016 at 18:33 I knew about latex because it took forever to load on my old Nokia N800... I feel like I should know what logP is (one of the things the drawing software claims it can calculate) since I'm in AP Chemistry, but what is it...? blogfast25 - 9-4-2016 at 18:45  Quote: Originally posted by The Volatile Chemist I knew about latex because it took forever to load on my old Nokia N800... I feel like I should know what logP is (one of the things the drawing software claims it can calculate) since I'm in AP Chemistry, but what is it...? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partition_coefficient But what does AP mean? The Volatile Chemist - 9-4-2016 at 18:56 Sorry, I probably should've googled log(P)... AP is an American university-in-secondary-school class. In high school, you can tale the AP version of a class after you take the normal version, the AP class covering the class at a first-year-university level. Then, if you take a test at the end of the year and do well enough, most universities you would go to will give you credit for the class as if you took it there. Sorry for all the weird wording, I was thrown off by having to use the phrase university all the time, because 'college' doesn't mean the same thing in the UK as it does here... Loptr - 13-4-2016 at 05:00 Another handy tool that is available on the web is Solv-DB, which is a database of solvents and their properties. I use it quite a bit. http://solvdb.ncms.org/solvdb.htm Eddygp - 15-6-2016 at 10:49 Very useful tool to avoid (summed up) hours of reference finding: http://chemsearch.kovsky.net/ ### Make chemistry equations look different with Unicode Diachrynic - 1-10-2017 at 02:54 I made a small program (23 KB) to make chemical equations somewhat look better. It turns this: 2MnO4 - + SO3 2- + 2OH- --> 2MnO4 2- + SO4 2- + H2O into this: 2MnO₄⁻ + SO₃²⁻ + 2OH⁻ → 2MnO₄²⁻ + SO₄²⁻ + H₂O by using a bunch of RegEx and Unicode. (Had to increase size a bit 'cause it was kind of small.) If anyone wants to try it out, here is a download link: http://www.mediafire.com/file/aesa60r6c2w4e41/ChemistryInlin... (Just in case if the upload here does not work.) If anyone wants to extend it, here is the important part of the source code (language is VB):  Code: ` Private Sub Convert() Dim Str1 As String = TextBox1.Text Str1 = " " + Str1.TrimEnd(" ") Str1 = Regex.Replace(Str1, "[<]+[-‒–—―=]*[>]+", "↔") Str1 = Regex.Replace(Str1, "[-‒–—―=]*[>]+", "→") Str1 = Regex.Replace(Str1, "(? To anyone better in programming this probably looks horrible Have fun! Cheers Attachment: ChemistryInlineFormula.exe (23kB) This file has been downloaded 379 times VSEPR_VOID - 17-5-2018 at 09:44$$2 \ \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6
test

[Edited on 17-5-2018 by VSEPR_VOID]

MJ101 - 14-6-2018 at 14:41

Hi,
I found this, which may also be of some use.

https://chemapps.stolaf.edu/jmol/jmol.php

I hope it's of some use to everyone.

https://chemapps.stolaf.edu/jmol/jmol.php?model=2595-97-3&am...

fusso - 14-6-2018 at 14:58

Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1
 Quote: Originally posted by chemrox chemsketch requires registration and the word "mandatory" is anathema to moi. It just seems to me that limit notation is part of the history and theory and is itself limited as has been mentioned. I guess I'm prejudiced because I use mostly partials. And rarely do physics. But I have explained calculus using the concept of limits and have reminded myself how it all works by writing out the ideas with limit notation.

A bit nonsequential, chemrox. It seems like you are answering several threads at once.

I downloaded and use chemsketch. No registration was required. This might be a recent change. Avogadro is similar but not as powerful.

Limit notation in calculus, or more accurately, analysis -- seems an ok way to write the concept. Or, more to the point, if you understand the concept, the notation is pretty efficient. Beginning with the notation and then trying to insert the concept is a way to introduce confusions, but that is a pedagogical issue and not unique to limits at all.

Liebniz notation does have advantages over function notation but I think I sumarised the position in the other thread.
The registration screen do occur to me