Review: The Elements for iPhone 4

Overview:

The Elements for iPhone 4 is a great educational app by Theodore Gray that is based on the periodic table of the elements. The Elements is a must have for anyone that wants to gain a better understanding of all the raw materials that make up our everyday lives. Features: Upon loading The Elements for iPhone 4, you are presented with a very dynamic version of the periodic table. Each of the elements in the table has an animated icon which, when touched, zooms into a detailed view of the element. The zoomed view gives you detailed information about the selected element, including: the atomic weight, density, melting point, boiling point and the history of the element. In addition to the textual information, the user is also presented with a nice animated 3D image of the element in raw form (every element has been photographed dozens of times in high resolution on a precision turntable). Touch the image with your finger and you can spin it for a full 360 degree view. For more detailed information, click the downward facing arrow at the top of the zoomed view to see items in everyday life that contain the element you are viewing. In the upper left corner of the screen there is a button that, when pressed, launches a song. It is the table of elements song written by Harvard mathematician Tom Lehrer in 1959. As the catchy tune plays, the elements expand and shrink running up and down the periodic table. In the lower left corner is another button which takes you to The Elements for iPhone 4 index page which includes information on the app itself. The about section explains all the work the developers put into developing the app. It explains what it took to make certain all the data and the imaging used for the animations is accurate. From the index you can also access the elements alphabetically or by their atomic numbers.

THE BREAKDOWN:

The Good: The Elements for iPhone 4 is a very well done educational app. It only runs on the iPhone 4 because it requires the gyroscope. The level of detail in the animated 360 degree views of each element is very realistic. I am equally impressed with the level of detail and scientific information for each element and how they relate to every day life. The song included is catchy, but a bit tricky to keep up with as it speeds along through the periodic table. The Bad: The only negative, from my perspective, is the price of $9.99. I am a bit cheap when it comes to spending money on apps. But, given the scientific data packed into The Elements for iPhone 4 I can understand the price point. The Elements weighs in at a hefty 1.2GB, which makes it about the size of most commercial GPS (turn by turn) apps.

The Verdict:

The Elements for iPhone 4 is one of the best educational apps I have found in the App Store. Given the level of detail and scientific data included, it is obvious that a lot of time and effort went into creating this app. Anyone who is a student, or just wants to increase their scientific knowledge, will love The Elements for iPhone 4.

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