This repository contains the STL files for 3D printable objects used to teach symmetry and group theory in an undergraduate inorganic chemistry course. The goal is to allow students to view objects and assign each object to a point group. Each object is easily 3D printable using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers, and I have found they all print well without the need for supports, adhesion layers, skirts, or any post-processing. Objects belong to a range of point groups including Dnd, Dnh, Dn, Cnv, Cnh, Cn, Sn, C1, Cs, Ci, Oh, Ih, Td, and Th. I have had good luck with printing using a 0.4 mm nozzle and PLA, and I recommend printing these objects with approximately 5-6 cm in diameter for use in a classroom setting. The numbers at the end of the file names correspond to a rough difficulty level in assigning the point group to each object (1 = easy, 2 = moderate, 3 = challenging, 4 = extremely challenging).
Objects are viewable and downloadable from GitHub in the symmetry_objects folder, or you can download all files at one as a zip file and clicking the Download button.
All designs and files are copyright © 2020-2023 Charles J. Weiss and are released under under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.