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CH10137: From molecules to materials

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2019/0
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Chemistry
Further information on credits Credits: 12      [equivalent to 24 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 240
Further information on unit levels Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Academic Year
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: EX 0%, EX-TH 100%*
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • S1 Mock Exam* (EX 0%)
  • S2 Open Book Examination of 24 hours duration* (EX-TH 100%)

*Assessment updated due to Covid-19 disruptions
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
CH10137 Supplementary Assessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
In taking this module you cannot take CH10138 . You must have A level Chemistry or equivalent to take this unit.
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
To introduce the basic concepts of physical chemistry upon which understanding of modern chemistry depends. These include the principles governing chemical processes in terms of thermodynamic properties, the measurement and analysis of reaction rates, chemical equilibria, phase behaviour, molecular spectroscopy and basic quantum mechanics.

Learning Outcomes:
After studying this unit, students should be able to:
* Describe simply the role of thermodynamics, kinetics and spectroscopy in chemistry
* Discuss the fundamental ideas lying behind thermodynamics, kinetics and spectroscopy and how they can be used to interpret chemical behaviour
* Perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of and solve problems involving thermodynamic and kinetic concepts and data.
* Solve numerical problems in of thermodynamics, kinetics and spectroscopy
* Apply some basic mathematical methods to the solution of chemical problems.

Skills:
Numeracy (F, A), Problem solving (T, F, A), Oral communication (F).

Content:

* The world of gases: ideal and non-ideal gases. Intermolecular forces: vapours, liquids and solutions. First law of thermodynamics and thermochemistry: energy changes in chemical reactions. Entropy and free energy.
* Reaction kinetics, stoichiometry, molecularity; reaction rate and order: half-life; integrated rate equations.
* Experimental methods in reaction kinetics. Arrhenius equation. Consecutive reactions; intermediates; rate limiting steps; chain reactions; catalysis.
* Calculation of changes in U, H, S, G under a range of temp., pressure and composition conditions. Le Chatelier principle. Relation between Gibbs free energy and equilibrium constants with examples drawn from chemical reactions, redox and electrochemical processes.
* Colligative properties, non ideality in liquids, conductivity in solution, the concept of activity and deviation from ideality, Debye Huckel theory
* Thermodynamics of electrochemical cells, the Nernst equation and static electrochemistry.
* Energy levels and molecular speeds in gases, Boltzmann equation,. Relationship between rate and equilibrium constants.
* Phase behaviour of solids, liquids and gases. Qualitative and quantitative characterisation of phase transitions. Emphasis will be placed on the solution of a range of types of problems.
* UV/visible spectrophotometry. Vibrational spectroscopy. Linear diatomic and polyatomic molecules. IR spectra of functional group containing compounds. Rotational spectroscopy; rigid rotor model. Vibration-rotation spectroscopy.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

CH10137 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Chemistry
  • USCH-AFB01 : BSc(Hons) Chemistry (Year 1)
  • USCH-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Chemistry with Study year abroad (Year 1)
  • USCH-AFB07 : BSc(Hons) Chemistry for Drug Discovery (Year 1)
  • USCH-AAB08 : BSc(Hons) Chemistry for Drug Discovery with Study year abroad (Year 1)
  • USCH-AKB08 : BSc(Hons) Chemistry for Drug Discovery with Industrial Placement (Year 1)
  • USCH-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Chemistry with Industrial Placement (Year 1)
  • USCH-AFB03 : BSc(Hons) Chemistry with Management (Year 1)
  • USCH-AAB04 : BSc(Hons) Chemistry with Management with Study year abroad (Year 1)
  • USCH-AKB04 : BSc(Hons) Chemistry with Management with Industrial Placement (Year 1)
  • USCH-AFM02 : MChem(Hons) Chemistry (Year 1)
  • USCH-AAM03 : MChem(Hons) Chemistry with Study year abroad (Year 1)
  • USCH-AFM05 : MChem(Hons) Chemistry for Drug Discovery (Year 1)
  • USCH-AAM06 : MChem(Hons) Chemistry for Drug Discovery with Study year abroad (Year 1)
  • USCH-AKM03 : MChem(Hons) Chemistry for Drug Discovery with Industrial Placement (Year 1)
  • USCH-AKM02 : MChem(Hons) Chemistry with Industrial Placement (Year 1)
  • USCH-AFM07 : MSci(Hons) Chemistry with Management (Year 1)
  • USCH-AKM07 : MSci(Hons) Chemistry with Management with Industrial Placement (Year 1)

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