Interactive Mathematica Simulations in Chemical Engineering Courses

Authors

  • John Falconer Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO 80309-0596
  • Garret Nicodemus Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO 80309-0596

Abstract

Interactive Mathematica1 simulations with graphical displays of system behavior are an excellent addition to chemical engineering courses. The Manipulate command in Mathematica creates on-screen controls that allow users to change system variables and see the graphical output almost instantaneously. They can be used both in and outside class. More than 400 chemical engineering simulations, developed by a number of authors, are available on the Wolfram site, and they can be used without a Mathematica license. 

Author Biographies

John Falconer, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO 80309-0596

John L. Falconer is the Mel and Virginia Clark Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and a President's Teaching Scholar at the University of Colorado Boulder. He has published more than 220 papers and has 12 patents in the areas of zeolite membranes, heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, and atomic and molecular deposition. He has directed the effort at the University of Colorado to prepare screencasts and ConcepTests for chemical engineering courses (www.LearnChemE.com). 

Garret Nicodemus, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO 80309-0596

Garret D. Nicodemus is a senior researcher in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. He has taught courses in material and energy balances, fluid mechanics, separations and mass transfer and senior design. He has been involved in developing ConcepTests, screencasts, and interactive simulations for chemical engineering courses. His interests include curricular innovations and use of interactive media in education. 

Downloads

Published

2014-08-01

Issue

Vol. 48 No. 3 (2014): Summer 2014

Section

Manuscripts