Molecule Lab

Build molecules, steal and share electrons, and see what heat really does. Works on iPhone, iPad and computers.

Games

Electron Tug-of-War
Push sodium and chlorine together. Chlorine steals an electron, then + and − snap into table salt. Melt it with a torch, zap it back with electricity.
NaCl · stealing (ionic)
Share-a-Pair Water
Bring two hydrogens to an oxygen and watch them share pairs of electrons. Then boil it, and heat it way past boiling until the bonds snap.
H₂O · sharing (covalent)
Sugar Factory
Snap 24 atoms into glucose. Dissolve it in water, burn it black with a torch, or burn it for energy like your body does.
C₆H₁₂O₆ · 24 atoms
One Drop Zoom
Start on one water molecule and zoom out past a virus, a blood cell and a hair to a whole drop on a dime. 1.7 sextillion molecules!
0.3 nm → 3 cm · sense of scale
DNA Zipper
Build the matching half of a DNA strand (A with T, G with C), twist it into a double helix, then unzip it and watch it copy itself.
A–T · G–C · hydrogen bonds
Atom Jar
A watermelon-style drop game. Atoms stick by real bonding rules, matching molecules chain into wax, plastic, starch and wood, and fire, lightning, sunlight and a press turn one thing into another. Can you make a diamond?
H·O·C·N · bonds · polymers · reactions
Atom Builder
A sandbox for atoms. Add protons, neutrons and electrons and it tells you what you built, how heavy it is, and whether it is radioactive. Challenges unlock more of the periodic table.
p + n + e · 118 elements · isotopes · ions
Element Names
A trivia game about where element names come from: Greek gods, planets, tiny Swedish villages, famous scientists, colors and smells. Multiple choice, with the story behind every answer.
113 elements · 7 kinds of names

Print these

Molecule Builder 3 pages Our Periodic Table 2 pages How Atoms Build Everything 1 page Sugar build sheet 1 page

On iPhone or iPad: tap the Share button in Safari, then Add to Home Screen to keep Molecule Lab like an app.
Version 8 · updated Sep 25, 2026