Measuring 3D distances

While the majority of students will meet coordination geometry in their school career, only a small number will extend these principles into three dimensions. Because of this, applying coordinate geometry in three dimensions is the focus of this article. The fundamental tool for applying coordinate geometry in chemistry is Pythagoras’ theorem. You may have your own preferred way of introducing this topic, but some useful methods have been presented before.

Although we will concentrate on the underlying mathematics, it’s worth remembering that these calculations underpin all modern molecular modelling techniques. You can help your students grasp these concepts with the use of physical models, which can help learning in both mathematics and science by helping to develop ‘three dimensional literacy’.