Techniques: chemical reactions, journal article writing
Field(s): Chemistry, Biochemistry
Submitted by: Genius Lab Gear Staff
Lab Hack:
A chemist and programmer created a totally free and handy Microsoft Word plugin called ChemFormatter to instantly format your chemical equations complete with stoichiometry subscripts, charge superscripts and other hard-to-find symbols!
I used this chemistry equation writer for all of my thesis writing and journal article submissions and it saves tons of time from tedious formula editing. Just be careful that it may unintentionally format some trade names that contain numbers because it thinks they are chemical formulae.
You'll need to download it from their SourceForge host, install it, then follow the instructions below. We didn't invent this, we just found it online and wanted to share it with all of you! Credit to Ujihara Kzauya for creating this wonderful tool!
How to use the chemistry equation writer plug-in for Word:
Here's how to activate the chemistry equation auto formatter plug-in:
Once you've downloaded and installed the plug-in, go to your Options menu and select "Add-ins" then on the "COM Add-ins" hit "GO". It should show up in your ribbon under "Add-ins" after restarting Word.
How to draw perfect molecules by hand:
Do you want to draw perfect molecules and chemical reactions every time? Also try out The Pocket Chemist - Wallet Molecule Stencil, Ruler and Chemistry Reference! You'll fly through your chemistry homework with the first ever pocket tool designed for chemists.