Chemistry in Power BI: Visualizing the Periodic Table

Chemistry is a fundamental science that helps us understand the world around us. Among various topics in chemistry, the periodic table of elements stands out as an essential tool, categorizing every known element based on their properties and relationships. With advancements in data visualization, Power BI provides an excellent platform for educators and students to engage with the periodic table more interactively and insightfully. In this blog post, we will explore how to use Power BI to visualize and analyze the periodic table, showcasing its practical applications in education.

Understanding the Periodic Table of Elements

The periodic table is a systematic arrangement of elements organized by their atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties. A unique symbol represents each element, and elements with similar properties are grouped to illustrate trends. These trends can include reactivity, electronegativity, and atomic radius.

Visualizing these properties is essential to effectively teaching and understanding chemistry concepts. Power BI allows for creating interactive dashboards that display various aspects of the periodic table, making complex data more digestible for students.

This is one example of how chemistry vs. reporting works.

PSE in Power BI

Power BI: A Tool for Effective Learning

Power BI is a business analytics tool by Microsoft that transforms raw data into informative insights through visualizations. Its user-friendly interface and powerful capabilities make it an excellent choice for educators looking to create engaging learning resources.

Using Power BI for chemistry education, you can create interactive reports that visualize the properties of elements, their relationships, and trends over time. Here are a few reasons why it's beneficial:

1. Interactivity: Students can click on elements to learn more about them, increasing engagement in the learning process.

2. Dynamic Visualizations: Data can be represented in various formats such as charts, graphs, and maps, making it easier to understand complex information.

3. Customizable Dashboards: Educators can tailor dashboards to fit specific learning objectives or accommodate various student learning styles.

   
   

Creating Interactive Dashboards in Power BI

Step-by-Step Guide to Dashboard Creation

Creating an interactive dashboard in Power BI to visualize periodic table elements involves a series of straightforward steps. Here's how to get started:

1. Data Preparation: Gather data on the elements of the periodic table. This data may include atomic number, symbol, atomic mass, group, period, and key properties like electronegativity, density, and state of matter at room temperature.

   
   

2. Importing Data: Once your data is ready, import it into Power BI by choosing the ‘Get Data’ option and selecting an appropriate format, such as Excel or CSV.

   
   

   The link to the data is on Github: Github:https://gist.github.com/GoodmanSciences/c2dd862cd38f21b0ad36b8f96b4bf1ee

   
   

3. Data Transformation: Use Power BI's Power Query Editor to clean and transform your data, ensuring that elements are grouped correctly and no missing entries.

   
   

   After importing CSV. file, you might receive Privacy level issues; ignore them.

   
   

   

   
   

4. Creating Visualizations: After your data is set up, it's time to create visualizations. Consider using:

5. Scatter Plots: To illustrate relationships between properties like atomic radius and electronegativity. See below on "Compare".

6. Legend and Filters: Students can filter elements based on groups or periods, enhancing their exploration experience.

   
   

   

   
   

7. Dashboard Design: Arrange your visualizations in a way that flows logically, allowing students to navigate the dashboard intuitively. Colors are a matter of taste, but keep it smooth and relaxing for the eyes. Power BI has an intuitive color palette in themes.

   
   

Exploring Element Properties and Trends

One of the most valuable aspects of using Power BI is its ability to showcase trends and relationships among element properties. Let’s take a look at a few examples:

Atomic Radius and Electronegativity

Understanding how atomic radius and electronegativity correlate can deepen students' appreciation for chemical behavior. Students can visualise how these two properties interact by creating a scatter plot in Power BI that displays atomic radius on one axis and electronegativity on another.

In many cases, as you move from left to right across a period, the atomic radius decreases while electronegativity increases. Making this observation through a visual representation can reinforce these concepts better than merely reading them from a textbook.

Group and Period Trends

Power BI allows educators to create specific views for different groups (vertical columns) and periods (horizontal rows) of the periodic table. For example, a bar chart that compares the atomic mass of elements within the same group can indicate how atomic mass changes as you move down the group.

Students can engage with this data to hypothesize why specific trends occur. For instance, they might inquire why alkali metals have lower electronegativities than halogens, exploring more profound chemistry concepts through data analysis.

To calculate the Compre page correctly, as you can see below, you will need to create X and Y-axis and a Property section DAX measure, that are one the same way:

Property Selection = 
VAR Selection = SELECTEDVALUE('Property Selection'[Property Selection])
VAR Conditional = SWITCH(TRUE(),Selection = "Atomic Number",SUM(Elements[Atomic Number]),
    Selection = "Electron Affinity",SUM(Elements[Electron Affinity]),
    Selection = "Atomic Mass",SUM(Elements[Atomic Mass]),
    Selection = "Boiling Point",SUM(Elements[Boiling Point]),
    Selection = "Melting Point",SUM(Elements[Melting Point]),
    Selection = "Density",SUM(Elements[Density]),
    Selection = "Electronegativity",SUM(Elements[Electronegativity]),
    Selection = "Ionization Energy",SUM(Elements[Ionization Energy]),
    Selection = "Specific Heat",SUM(Elements[Specific Heat]),
    SUM(Elements[Atomic Number]))
RETURN Conditional

Power BI as a Teaching Resource

Using Power BI for chemistry teaching enhances student engagement and provides educators with a resource for assessing knowledge retention and understanding.

Assessing Student Performance

Educators can incorporate quizzes and assessments within Power BI dashboards to track students' progress. By analyzing which areas students excel in or struggle with, teachers can tailor their instruction.

Collaborative Learning Environment

Power BI dashboards can be shared among students, encouraging collaboration. They can work in groups to explore and interpret data, promoting discussion around chemical concepts and facilitating peer learning.

Integrating With Other Tools

Power BI can be integrated with other educational tools and platforms, expanding its utility. Linking data from simulations or interactive labs can lead to a richer learning experience.

By connecting practical experiments with data visualization in Power BI, educators can present real-world applications of the concepts being taught.

Wrapping Up Learning with Power BI

Utilizing Power BI to visualize the periodic table meaningfully enhances chemistry education. It transforms traditional learning into an interactive experience, bringing elements and their properties to life.

Educators can create interactive dashboards by following a step-by-step approach, providing students with engaging resources that promote exploration, critical thinking, and a better understanding of chemical principles.

Think of Power BI as a bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical application in chemistry. Whether you are an educator looking to introduce your students to the periodic table or a student wanting to learn more about chemical elements, Power BI offers a unique and powerful way to enhance your learning experience.

Incorporate visualizations, assessment tools, and collaborative learning opportunities to make chemistry a subject and an exciting exploration of the world of elements. As you unlock the potential of Power BI in your chemistry studies, you reinforce the connections between data and learning, making science more accessible and engaging for all.

Happy Power BI-ing!!!