SimKinet: A free educational tool based on an electrical analogy to solve chemical kinetic equations

In this article we introduce the software SimKinet, a free tool specifically designed to solve systems of differential equations without any programming skill. The underlying method is the so-called Network Simulation Method, which designs and solves an electrical network equivalent to the mathemati...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2019-03, Vol.14 (3), p.e0213302-e0213302
Main Authors: Caravaca, Manuel, Sanchez-Andrada, Pilar, Soto-Meca, Antonio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Atmospheric chemistry
Atmospheric ozone
Biology and Life Sciences
Chemical kinetics
Chemical reactions
Chemistry, Physical - education
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer programming
Computer Simulation
Differential equations
Education
Educational research
Electricity
Engineering and Technology
Enzymes
Humans
Instructional materials
Kinetic equations
Kinetics
Knowledge
Mathematical analysis
Mathematical problems
Mathematics - education
Methods
Models, Theoretical
Ordinary differential equations
Organic chemistry
Oxidases
Ozone
Peroxidase
Photochemicals
Physical chemistry
Physical Sciences
Physics
Pollutants
Reaction kinetics
Research and Analysis Methods
Researchers
Software
Students
Students - statistics & numerical data
Theory
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In this article we introduce the software SimKinet, a free tool specifically designed to solve systems of differential equations without any programming skill. The underlying method is the so-called Network Simulation Method, which designs and solves an electrical network equivalent to the mathematical problem. SimKinet is versatile, fast, presenting a real user-friendly interface, and can be employed for both educational and researching purposes. It is particularly useful in the first courses of different scientific degrees, mainly Chemistry and Physics, especially when facing non-analytic or complex-dynamics problems. Moreover, SimKinet would help students to understand fundamental concepts, being an opportunity to improve instruction in Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and other Sciences courses, with no need of advanced knowledge in differential equations. The potency of SimKinet is demonstrated via two applications in chemical kinetics: the photochemical destruction of stratospheric ozone and the chaotic dynamics of the peroxidase-oxidase reaction.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0213302