Molecule Structure Pedagogy with the Objectivity of Music

Abstract

It is well understood that the creative processes behind art forms, including music, are highly subjective and are based on personal interpretation. This raises the question: can music be effectively integrated into the teaching of more objective subjects, such as chemistry, if done through a systematic and structured framework? In this work, we rationally constructed the mapping between small molecules and chords. We found a strong correlation between the molecular stability and the music type from the interpretation of chemical bonding pictures. This correlation helps students understand the beauty and artistry of chemistry and chords in music. Furthermore, we observed some small imperfections in the molecule mappings of certain real-world chord progressions, which present opportunities for refinement through optimization of the underlying molecular cohesive energy. We demonstrated that the basic chemical bonding picture could provide objective understanding or even standards for music composing. Most small-molecule structures, such as amino acids, can be objectively transformed into reasonable chord combinations, and some real-world music chords exist in these molecular chords. Therefore, students can “play” the molecules using real instruments, and this method is practicable in organic chemistry education.