Josefson 9351618 The project will purchase Silicon Graphics Indigo Workstations, along with the software packages, SYBLL and SPARTAN. This equipment will allow calculations on real molecules as the basis for teaching principles in the inorganic, P-chem, and biochemistry courses. Among other applications, we will use ab initio and semi-empirical calculations to investigate the nature of the chemical bond. Real-time graphics will allow students to visualize wave functions, electrostatic potential maps, orbital symmetries, and molecular motions, making these abstract principles more concrete. Basing these courses on calculations and visualization of real molecules could begin a major shift in the way students learn course principles, providing an innovative alternative for other undergraduate teachers. ***
