QTABLE
by Kevin Zahm


DOCUMENTATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0  Introduction
2.0  Requirements
3.0  Start-Up
4.0  Key
5.0  Single Temperatures
6.0  Cycling Temperatures
7.0  Quitting
8.0  Credits
9.0  Purchasing a Copy


1.0  Introduction

     Most periodic tables display the elements in three
     colors: black for solids, blue for liquids, and red
     for gases.  These colors are chosen to represent the
     state the element will be in at a chosen temperature,
     usually 20 øC.

     During my first year teaching I started to wonder what
     the table would look like if other temperatures were
     considered "standard."  I assigned students a
     temperature at which to re-draw the table to get extra
     credit.  This was tedious, and I wanted to show other
     students the results in other years.  Put this together
     with a new computer (a 286!), and this program is what 
     came out.

     QTABLE was originally written in GWBASIC in 1990, and
     was converted and neatened into a QuickBASIC file at the
     urging of several friends in January 1994.  Ideas and
     suggestions are welcome.

     The program will do two things: display a "still" of the
     periodic table drawn at a single chosen temperature, or
     show the table as a series of chosen temperatures.  This
     can show basic states of matter, or boiling/melting/
     atomic force trends in the periodic table.


2.0  Requirements

     IBM 286 or later compatible
     3«" floppy drive
     VGA with color monitor
     DOS v3.3 or later

     Note: I left in the requirements because they're so cute.



3.0  Start-Up - To run from a hard drive:

     Double click on the file	QTABLE



4.0  Key

     The following color code was used:

               Black     Solids
               Blue      Liquid
               Red       Gas
               Green     Not enough information available

     The synthetic elements are usually printed outlined, but
     in many cases enough has been produced to determine the
     actual melting and boiling points of these elements.  Also,
     I know that many elements have been added to the "official"
     table since I wrote and compiled this program, but I haven't
     had the energy or time or motivation to go back and add them
     in - they don't seem as important in this use.

     The temperature is displayed above the transition metals
     in color also.  The color was chosen to show what state
     water would be in at the given temperature (-10 øC is
     shown black, +300 is shown in red).  At the freezing
     point I considered water to be solid, and at the
     boiling point I considered it a liquid.  This
     was arbitrary.




5.0  Single Temperatures

     To see what the periodic table would look like at a
     given temperature, press T at the menu prompt.  The
     program will ask for a temperature to display.  The
     accepted range of temperatures is from -273.15 to 10 000 
     Kelvin.  At 273.15 øC (absolute zero) all elements would 
     be solids, and at 10000 øC all elements are gaseous.




6.0  Cycling Temperatures

     To see the effect of raising or lowering temperatures,
     type C at the menu prompt.

     The program will then prompt you for a starting and
     ending temperature, and a step size.  The starting and
     ending temperatures should be between -273.15 øC and
     10000 øC.  If you want to show progressively lower
     temperatures, type the higher on first.

     The step size is what the program "counts by."  Typing
     10 will "count by" 10 degrees each screen.  The program
     will automatically count backwards if the ending
     temperature is lower than the starting temperature.
     Be careful that the step size is not so small that the
     program takes forever to run!




7.0  Quitting

     To exit from the single temperature mode, enter a temperature 
     less than absolute zero (-273.15) to return to the menu prompt.

     To exit from the menu prompt, type E.  




8.0  Credits

     I've never written software to be sold before, so I
     would like to thank Arlene Blake, Dr Louis Kirschenbaum,
     Jim Ascoli, the Middletown High School Science
     Department, Jeremy Sarao, Craig Ruggeiro, and Mike Egli.

     Melting and boiling point data was obtained from a
     Central Scientific Co. wall-sized periodic table and
     from the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.




9.0  Purchasing a Copy

     Isn't it cute that I had planned to make money from this?  
     Instead, improve it or update it if you want, and send me
     copy so I can play with it.

		Kevin Zahm
		c/o Middletown High School
		130 Valley Road
		Middletwown, RI
                        02842

		kevinzahm@gmail.com