WHAT IS KEMBLOX™ AND

HOW DOES IT WORK? EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGES OF KEMBLOX™

KembloX™ is a system designed to enhance the experience
of learning the chemistry of ionic compounds.
KembloX™ has two integral, inseparable, components: a
CHART and a set of BLOCKS. It has an optional component -
a four-sided spinning top.
The CHART is a combination of the expanded periodic table
of elements and a list of most common polyatomic ions.
The color-coded chart presents the ions and up to two
preferred charges. The chart can be used in two ways.
Either one is looking for ions with a certain charge, and
looks for the respective color in the chart, or one tries to
find the preferred charge of a certain ion, and looks at its
position in the chart, be it in the periodic table or in the list
of polyatomic ions. The area in which are found the
elements whose preferred ion is an anion is shaded in the
periodic table; for the polyatomic ions, the charge is listed
with the formula.
The BLOCKS, the second essential part of the KembloX
system, are three-dimensional structures and were
ergonomically designed to allow easy assembly and
disassembly. The blocks represent the ions participating in
the formula unit of the ionic compounds. The blocks exhibit
either posts, representing electrons, or wells representing
the lack of electrons specific for positive ions. The posts fit
the wells, i.e. the blocks are complementary, to model
formula units.
The color code is the same for the chart and for the blocks.
In addition, the blocks are engraved so that one can tell the
anion from the cation in assembled models of formula
units. This particular feature also enables students with low
visual ability to build models by using the tactile feature of
KembloX™.
The optional four-sided spinning top has the four sides
coded with the same color code as the chart and the
blocks. The top introduces a factor of randomness and
surprise in building the model, and gives the student a
sense of fairness and of ownership over the models they
built.
• Presents students with familiar objects
(building blocks and pencil boxes)
• Addresses the visual and the tactile
(kinesthetic) paths to understanding
(stereognosis), hence the motto
make the hands see™
• Turns learning from “work” into “play”,
especially in the full system, that includes a
spinning top for random selection of anions
and cations. KEMBLOX™
• KembloX™ can be used as a means of
learning by discovery, i.e. by just following
simple rules, the students can predict the
make the hands see™
name and the formula of over 3,000 ionic
compounds.
• KembloX™ is especially useful for visually
impaired students.
• Because of its simplicity and chromatic
appeal, STEM/STEAM programs at all levels
would greatly benefit from using
KembloX™.
Examples and demonstrations are presented in
segments posted on YOUTUBE (search for e-mail: kemblox@yahoo.com
KembloX™) or on kemblox.wordpress.com
AVAILABILITY: Full system (28 blocks, 3500 Tel. 401-847-7287
compounds), Basic system (16 blocks, 2000
compounds), Teacher system (like basic, but
kemblox.wordpress.com
larger size, for classroom presentations) 30 Pond Ave., Newport, RI 02840
Patent Pending
 Anions Cations

A valid model will have no posts or wells exposed