Ecole Doctorale des Sciences

I shall explore two aspects of visualization: the elucidation of concepts and the approach to

solving problems. I shall deal with three types of audience: the starting student, the more

advanced student, and the general public. First, the elucidation of concepts. I regard it as a

challenge, and a test of an instructor’s own understanding, to construct a visual presentation

of a concept. I shall illustrate this attitude with concepts from thermodynamics. But are there

limits to visualization? I shall outline parts of physical chemistry where I cannot find suitable

visualizations, perhaps because they do not exist or perhaps because they would be

misleading. Then I shall consider problem solving. One of the major problems with teaching

students how to set up and solve problems in chemistry, particularly in general chemistry and

physical chemistry, springs from their fear of mathematics. How, then, can we help our

students to set up solutions to problems and to understand and enjoy what they are doing? I

shall describe an approach in which almost every mathematical and arithmetical step is

expressed in a visual way. The visualizations illustrate the content of each step, which helps

visual learners, and encourages the stronger students to think about, and therefore to

understand more deeply, what they are doing. I shall illustrate these thoughts with examples

drawn from all levels of chemistry education, starting with introductory chemistry and

moving on to higher levels, particularly of physical chemistry, including thermodynamics and

quantum theory.