Atoms

A Variation on a Sonobe unit

Each atom is made from a number of sonobe units. DofT uses the following scheme:

Other elements can be represented with various colors as you see fit.

Period 1 elements are tiny (of which only hydrogen can make bonds anyway) and can be represented with 3 unit constructions. Period 2 elements - carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, etc. - are represented with 8 unit constructions. Elements in period 3 and beyond, like sulfur and phosphorus, are larger still, and the few times he's tried building molecules with them, he's used the larger 30 unit constructions.. with mild success. He's going to experiment with it some to see if there's a better way of representing the larger elements.

Fold each module as follows:

Step 1

Starting with a square, fold in half diagonally in both directions

Step 2

Fold two of the opposite points to the center

Step 3

Fold each of those new creased edges to the center

Step 4

Fold the other two corners in

Step 5

Fold the upper left and lower right corners down and tuck under the flaps.

Step 5 Completed

You should end up with this. Flip it over.

Step 6

Vally fold the points to the opposite side as shwon, and mountain fold diagonally in between.. unless you're making hydrogen, in which case all of these folds are valley folds.

Done

And you're done

Still done.

That is.. you're done with one module. Repeat! Make a dozen of these for each atom - except for hydrogen.