Molecular Workbench vs Polychem
Molecular Workbench
mw.concord.orgPolychem
polychem.orgSide by side
| Figure | Molecular Workbench | Polychem |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Chemistry Simulation Software | 8.5 (#7) | 7.6 (#17) |
| Assessment | Activities can contain embedded assessments, collect student work and provide teacher feedback. | Teachers can generate tests from question types, view model answers, and print the test and answers. |
| Customization | Users can customize or create simulations and curricula. | Teachers can edit notes and examination questions, add their own questions using a multiple choice template, and record or direct-mail results. |
| Purpose | Molecular Workbench is a modeling tool for designing and conducting computational experiments across science. | Polychem is an interactive multimedia chemistry tutorial and simulation tool for teachers and students. |
Plans
Molecular Workbench
- Molecular WorkbenchFree
- Molecular Workbench FreeFree
In their own words
Molecular Workbench
Molecular Workbench is a free modeling tool for designing and conducting computational experiments across science. Its interactive learning environment supports science inquiry, while its authoring system lets instructional designers create and publish curriculum based on models and simulations. Users can customize simulations or create their own, with topics spanning gas laws, fluid mechanics, states of matter, chemical reactions, genetics, protein synthesis, and quantum phenomena. Activities can include assessments, student-data collection, learning monitoring, and teacher feedback. Simulations can also be embedded in blogs, wikis, or web pages. The Next-Generation Molecular Workbench brings computational experiments to browsers using HTML5. An offline version is available, but it cannot access the latest simulations or collect student data. Downloads are listed for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, and require Java Runtime Environment 1.5 or later. The maker says the software needs considerable computing power and may start slowly while the Java virtual machine launches. Molecular Workbench is developed and maintained by the Concord Consortium.