A Mobile Device Application for Visualizing Molecular Symmetry and Orbitals in Augmented Reality

Molecular symmetry and orbitals are two important chemical concepts which can be difficult for students to visualize in three dimensions; as such, instructors have traditionally adopted a variety of approaches to teach them including the use of physical models and digital renderings/resources. This paper describes a new mobile device application (app) called leARnCHEM which leverages advances in augmented reality to enable students to visualize and interact with these items in a novel way. The app is available for free on both android and iOS devices and is capable of both marker and markerless rendering of molecules. The app development and features, as well as preliminary implementation and feedback from undergraduate students, is described. We expect this app to be a valuable resource for teaching and learning symmetry or orbitals as it is interactive and engaging, is freely accessible to anyone with a mobile device, and can be used essentially anywhere.