Creating and Using Interactive, 3D-Printed Models to Improve Student Comprehension of the Bohr Model of the Atom, Bond Polarity, and Hybridization

Molecular model kits have been used in chemistry classrooms for decades but have seen very little recent innovation. Using 3D printing, three sets of physical models were created for a first semester, introductory chemistry course. Students manipulated these interactive models during class activities as a supplement to existing teaching tools for learning typically difficult concepts that currently lack physical models: the Bohr model of the atom, bond polarity, and hybridization. The results from student surveys show that these easy-to-produce models have a positive impact on students’ perceptions of learning.