Okay, so what's all that xyzpdb stuff in the third column? Structural information about molecules - the types of atoms and their positions - is saved by various computer programs in files that have a three-letter extension to indicate something about the program that created them, the database from which they came, and so on. The extension .pdb, for example, means the structure file came from the Protein Data Bank, originally created at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Unfortunately, a veritable Babel of formats exists (in fact, a program called Babel has been written to translate among them), with each application writing files in its own native format and one or two others, just like word processors or spreadsheets. We needn't worry here about the exact structure of the various formats; instead we simply make sure that when we do a File Open with one of the viewers, we select the appropriate type to open.

Where can you get molecule structure files to view? For this course, I've set up a database on our Web server, which you can reach through the link below. You can download files to your own computer, but please DO NOT download files to the General Chem computers. Many of these structures are also available on various of our course Web pages, to be viewed with Chime.

Chime is a little different than the other viewers, in that it only works with structures that are "embedded" in a Web page. It is a browser "add-in", an independent program that works in cooperation with a Web browser. Again, feel free to download it to your personal PC or Mac; it has already been installed on the General Chem computers. A short tutorial on the use of Chime can be read by taking the link below.

Enjoy your views of the molecular world!