Chem Combiner is a new app that calculates chemical reactions, created by two Neuqua Valley seniors.
“It started when Matt came over to me and asked if there was a calculator that could help him solve chemical equations and balance them,” said Neuqua Valley High School senior Ishaan Patel. “And I didn’t believe him that there wasn’t any so we looked online and we couldn’t find one that did the job that we wanted it to do, so that’s how it all started.”
Matthew William provided the chemistry know-how, while Ishaan Patel brought the programming knowledge necessary to create this app.
“I wanted my friends to like chemistry as much as I did, so I wanted them to have a tool that increased their own self-confidence in it and maybe took less time for them to master the subject,” added Matthew William, also a senior at Neuqua. “So that’s when I started writing down a basic program, how to do it, and that’s when I talk to him later on how to make the program much more advanced and user friendly.”
Currently only available for Android devices, the app can calculate reactions in a variety of circumstances, like synthesis, double replacement and combustion. And while it is able to calculate these results, the boys recommend only using it to double check work rather than as a short cut.
Ishaan and Matthew met in ninth grade honors geometry and have been friends ever since.
Naperville News 17’s Evan Summers reports.
