Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A staple for many students, for many years., November 28, 2006
I bought this kit when I was a college sophomore about 14 years ago (gasp!). And yes, it was precisely the same product being sold here today. I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, since there doesn't seem to have been any improvements - but hey, if it ain't broke, right?
After forgetting about it for many years, I recently found it again in a box in the attic and was thrilled to discover I hadn't lost it, or given it away, or burned it with all the rest of my school things. I had always got a huge kick out of playing with it in school, and of course, I started playing with it again immediately! Gotta admit, it's hard to put down - kinda like catnip for nerds, which I guess makes me one.
Memory Lane aside, it's a solid little set, and includes the following pieces:
28 Hydrogen (white)
14 Carbon (black)
8 Oxygen (red)
8 Chlorine (green)
4 Nitrogen (blue)
2 Bromine (orange)
2 Iodine (purple)
40 Single bonds (space-fill)
40 Single bonds (open)
12 Double bonds (open)
Of course, some of the pieces above can be used in a pinch to represent atoms that aren't listed, but I rarely (if ever? *scratch head*) found that necessary in my basic chem classes. Overall, it was an excellent tool, and well worth the somewhat inflated price. I can remember buying many a text book that cost many times more - few of which proved as helpful as this kit, and none of which were as entertaining.
If I had to cite a negative, I'd have to admit they were a bit stingy with the carbon molecules - and sadly, the only other pieces that rival carbon's chiral-yumminess are the nitrogens, which are also in short supply. Besides, your molecule looks stupid with bunch of blue nitrogens pretending to be carbons - and who wants a stupid-looking molecule when your trying to be all brainy and stuff!? Consequently, I couldn't quite make some hydrocarbons of medium complexity, including my very most favorite molecule of all time! ...which shall here remain nameless.
However, this is all easily remedied! And in a way, that's what brought me to this page on Amazon to begin with. After all these years I'm going to buy another set just for fun! HA! With two of these babies, I'll be able to make almost ANYTHING. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Useful toy, March 22, 2006
For a non-specialist like me, it's a bit daunting to try to develop intuition about how simple molecules are put together. It really helps to have a physical model, especially for subtle ideas like multiple stereocenters and 3D structures. This kit is a great way to help visualize and understand simple chemical systems.
It comes with 14 carbon "atoms", 4-holed black beads, and a collection of others: 2-holed oxygen, 3-holed nitrogen, and 1-holed hydrogen and halogens, all color-coded. The number of holes represents the typical valence of each atom type, but you can assign any meaning you want to the color code. Two kinds of connecting "bonds" plug into the beads: long flexible ones for stick models, and short ones that place the atoms butt up against each other for space-filling models.
The pieces snap together snugly, so the assembled models can stand a bit of rough handling. Someone with weak fingers might have a tough time pulling them apart, though. There are enough pieces to make lots of different models: sugars, amino acids, and other small, biologically important bits. I could ask for beads representing phosporus (needed for DNA) and sulfur (for aome amino acids), and there's always reason to want more of everything. Still, this is fine as a beginner's kit. And, as a desk toy, it lets you look like you're doing real work.
//wiredweird
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29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Kit, July 29, 2003
I would recommend this kit to anyone who is taking organic chemistry. I found it very useful in learning organic chemistry mechanisms and structures. The high price is reflected in the high quality of the product!In other reviews there were a couple of complaints about the kit not being realistic. However, the bond stiffness and design are surprisingly realistic (molecules aren't all that flimsy). The kit is perfect for create virtually any small organic molecule. It is excellent for seeing the difference between a chair and boat conformation, provided that it is put together appropriately. (My organic book and the directions were useful in arriving at the right conformation when I had problems.) The kit may just take a little bit of time to get used to, but it definitely is worth the work and time to see molecules in 3-D!
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by T. W. Graham Solomons
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