  The impossibility of experiencing the molecular world with our senses hampers
teaching and understanding chemistry because very abstract concepts (such as
atoms, chemical bonds, molecular structure, reactivity) are required for this
process. Virtual reality, especially when based on explicit physical modeling
(potentially in real time), offers a solution to this dilemma. Chemistry
teaching can make use of advanced technologies such as virtual-reality
frameworks and haptic devices. We show how an immersive learning setting could
be applied to help students understand the core concepts of typical chemical
reactions by offering a much more intuitive approach than traditional learning
settings. Our setting relies on an interactive exploration and manipulation of
a chemical system; this system is simulated in real-time with quantum chemical
methods, and therefore, behaves in a physically meaningful way.
