The passing of Larry Finger earlier this year (Hazen, 2024
https://msaweb.org/MSA/AmMin/TOC/2024/Abstracts/AM109P1839.pdf) brought
to mind a FORTRAN program Larry wrote in 1972 that identified and balanced
possible chemical reactions among a group of phases. (Finger, L.W., and
Burt, D.M.,1972, REACTION, a Fortran IV Computer Program to Balance
Chemical Reactions: Carnegie Institution of Washington Year Book 71,
616-620. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015004760552&seq=684)
Others have revised or incorporated the logic of this program in their work
and software. Nevertheless, I have found Larry’s program to be helpful in
the past. I thought that it might be of use in teaching petrology students
and have coded in javascript an online version inspired by the original.
You can find it here:
https://www.science.smith.edu/~jbrady/petrology/advPet-topics/reactions/reactions-page01.php
along with an explanation of the algebraic method used. Although this is
more advanced than many of the other interactive diagrams and tools on my
teaching petrology website, some of you may find it helpful in your
teaching. When you use the reaction tool, please remember Larry Finger.
And if you or your students have suggestions for improvements to these or
any of the other interactive petrology pages, I welcome feedback.
Good wishes,
John
Apologies for multiple postings…
John Brady, Mary E. Moses Professor Emeritus
Department of Geosciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063
413-585-3953, http://www.science.smith.edu/~jbrady/
Interactive IgMetPet: https://www.science.smith.edu/~jbrady/petrology
<https://www.science.smith.edu/~jbrady/petrology/front-matter/figure-lists.php>
Petrography Online: https://optical.minpet.org/
The passing of Larry Finger earlier this year (Hazen, 2024
<https://msaweb.org/MSA/AmMin/TOC/2024/Abstracts/AM109P1839.pdf>) brought
to mind a FORTRAN program Larry wrote in 1972 that identified and balanced
possible chemical reactions among a group of phases. (Finger, L.W., and
Burt, D.M.,1972, REACTION, a Fortran IV Computer Program to Balance
Chemical Reactions: Carnegie Institution of Washington Year Book 71,
616-620. <https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015004760552&seq=684>)
Others have revised or incorporated the logic of this program in their work
and software. Nevertheless, I have found Larry’s program to be helpful in
the past. I thought that it might be of use in teaching petrology students
and have coded in javascript an online version inspired by the original.
You can find it here:
https://www.science.smith.edu/~jbrady/petrology/advPet-topics/reactions/reactions-page01.php
along with an explanation of the algebraic method used. Although this is
more advanced than many of the other interactive diagrams and tools on my
teaching petrology website, some of you may find it helpful in your
teaching. When you use the reaction tool, please remember Larry Finger.
And if you or your students have suggestions for improvements to these or
any of the other interactive petrology pages, I welcome feedback.
Good wishes,
John
Apologies for multiple postings…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Brady, Mary E. Moses Professor Emeritus
Department of Geosciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063
413-585-3953, http://www.science.smith.edu/~jbrady/
Interactive IgMetPet: https://www.science.smith.edu/~jbrady/petrology
<https://www.science.smith.edu/~jbrady/petrology/front-matter/figure-lists.php>
Petrography Online: https://optical.minpet.org/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
