For teachers
Every simulation is built to work on a classroom board: big, calm, readable from the back, and explained in words underneath.
On the board
- Full screen. Press F11 (Windows) or Control–Command–F (Mac) in your browser. The simulation and its controls stay together.
- Pause and step through. Every moving simulation has a Pause button. The Motion button at the top of every page stops all animation at once, which helps pupils who find movement distracting and is useful when you want to talk over a still picture.
- Two levels. Core is written for GCSE. Deeper goes on to A-level. The simulation is the same, sometimes with extra controls, so you can start a sixth-form lesson on Core and move up.
- In words, too. Under each simulation, “What the simulation shows, in words” describes it for anyone who can’t see it, and for pupils who want to read it back.
What it covers so far
Eight lessons are written. The references below are to the AQA specifications (GCSE Chemistry 8462 and A-level Chemistry 7405). We checked them against AQA’s own specification documents on 11 November 2026. Edexcel, OCR and WJEC references will follow once each has been checked the same way.
| Lesson | Topic | AQA GCSE 8462 | AQA A-level 7405 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where are the electrons in an atom? | Atoms and the periodic table | 4.1.1.7 | 3.1.1.3 (AQA asks for configurations up to Z = 36) |
| Why do metals burn with different colours? | Atoms and the periodic table | 4.8.3.1, 4.8.3.7 (chemistry only) | Not a named topic; builds on the energy levels in 3.1.1.3 |
| Why does salt dissolve in water? | Bonding and shape | 4.2.1.2, 4.2.1.3, 4.2.2.3 | 3.1.3.1, 3.1.8.1, 3.1.8.2 |
| Why is a water molecule bent? | Bonding and shape | Shapes are not on the GCSE; 4.2.1.4 covers covalent bonding | 3.1.3.5, 3.1.3.6 |
| How do you count atoms you can’t see? | Amount of substance | 4.1.1.6, 4.3.1.2, 4.3.2.1 to 4.3.2.5 | 3.1.2.1, 3.1.2.2 |
| Why do reactions go faster when it’s hot? | Rates and equilibrium | 4.6.1.2, 4.6.1.3 | 3.1.5.1 to 3.1.5.3, 3.1.9.1 (Arrhenius) |
| Why does a reaction push back when you change it? | Rates and equilibrium | 4.6.2.1 to 4.6.2.7 | 3.1.6.1, 3.1.6.2 |
| What does pH actually measure? | Acids, bases and electrochemistry | 4.4.2.4, 4.4.2.6 | 3.1.12.2, 3.1.12.3, 3.1.12.4 |
Accuracy
Every value is checked against a named source, listed at the foot of each lesson, and element data comes from IUPAC and NIST. The lessons have not yet been reviewed by a practising chemistry teacher, and we would rather say so than imply they have. If you find something wrong, or worded in a way a mark scheme wouldn’t accept, please email hello@fallinghippo.com. Every change is logged on the corrections page.
Practical work
Bright Atoms never gives instructions for experiments. Simulations stand in for nothing that should be done in a real lab, and safety advice for practicals should come from your school’s risk assessments and CLEAPSS. See the safety page.
Privacy
No accounts, no tracking, no adverts and no cookies. Pupils can use it without signing up or giving any information. The privacy policy has the detail.