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Department of Chemistry, Unit Catalogue 2011/12


CH20152: Principles of physical chemistry for natural scientists

Click here for further information Credits: 12
Click here for further information Level: Intermediate (FHEQ level 5)
Click here for further information Period: Academic Year
Click here for further information Assessment: EX 60%, MC 20%, PR 20%
Click here for further information Supplementary Assessment: CH20152 - Resassessment Examination (where allowed by programme regulations)
Click here for further information Requisites: Before taking this unit you must take CH10138
Click here for further information Description: Aims:
To introduce and expand on advanced physical chemistry methods in kinetics, spectroscopy, surfaces and quantum mechanics.

Learning Outcomes:
After studying this Unit, students should be able to:
* Describe some experimental methods for investigating reaction rate and mechanism and how kinetic parameters may be calculated.
* Account in kinetic terms for the mechanism of a range of reactions.
* Analyse kinetic data in terms of a number of theoretical models
* Describe methods for measuring rates of fast reactions
* Describe the effect of light on some chemical reactions and account for the rates of photochemical processes.
* Understand how lasers work, and their applications
* Describe the fundamental processes that lead to absorption, emission and scattering of electromagnetic radiation from molecular species, and interpret IR and Raman spectra.
* Describe and define the types of adsorption at solid surfaces
* Explain the qualitative and quantitative basis of catalysis and physical adsorption
* Define surface tension and solve simple problems involving its application
* Define and interpret the forces between two colloids
* Define the terms 'wavefunction' and 'eigenvalue'.
* Relate physical models to quantisation of molecular and electronic energies.
* Use quantum mechanical methods to generate and rationalise the structure and bonding in organic molecules.

Skills:
Numeracy (F, A); Problem solving (T, F, A); Independent working (F).

Content:
Revision of basics of reaction kinetics - order, molecularity, temperature effects. Kinetic treatment of more complex mechanisms such as chain and oscillating reactions, enzyme kinetics.
Theoretical treatments of reaction kinetics and examples of their application. e.g. collision theory, transition state theory. Reactions in solution. Diffusion and activation control, the "cage" effect. Experimental methods for studying reactions:
Basic photochemical methods and processes. Applications of photochemistry. Kinetics of photochemical reactions.
The physical basis of spectroscopy, developing from the basic quantum mechanics of simple molecules to the interpretation of spectra of complex molecules
Introduction to surfaces. chemisorption versus physisorption. adsorbed amounts. Types of isotherms: Langmuir Isotherm. determination of heat of adsorption,BET isotherm: Introduction to heterogeneous catalysis. Kinetics of catalysis. Langmuir Hinshelwood mechanism. Eley Rideal mechanism. Catalysis examples Molecular basis and consequences of surface tension. Colloid stability. Micellisation. Gibbs equation
Basic principles of quantum mechanics; wavefunctions, eigenvalues and operators.
Solving the Schrödinger equation and the calculation of energy levels. Development of the variation method applied to diatomic molecules and hydrocarbons. Calculation of electronic and bonding energies. The relationship between molecular orbitals, electron density and reactivity.
Click here for further informationProgramme availability:

CH20152 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Chemistry
  • USCH-AFB03 : BSc (hons) Chemistry with Management (Full-time) - Year 2
  • USCH-AKB04 : BSc (hons) Chemistry with Management with Industrial Training (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 2
  • USCH-AAB04 : BSc (hons) Chemistry with Management with Study Year Abroad (Full-time with Study Year Abroad) - Year 2
  • USCH-AFM07 : MSci (hons) Chemistry with Management (Full-time) - Year 2
  • USCH-AKM07 : MSci (hons) Chemistry with Management with Industrial Training (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 2

CH20152 is Optional on the following programmes:

Programmes in Natural Sciences
  • UXXX-AFB01 : BSc (hons) Natural Sciences (Full-time) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AKB02 : BSc (hons) Natural Sciences with Industrial Placement (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AAB02 : BSc (hons) Natural Sciences with Study Year Abroad (Full-time with Study Year Abroad) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AFM01 : MSci (hons) Natural Sciences (Full-time) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AKM02 : MSci (hons) Natural Sciences with Professional Placement (Full-time with Thick Sandwich Placement) - Year 2
  • UXXX-AAM02 : MSci (hons) Natural Sciences with Study Year Abroad (Full-time with Study Year Abroad) - Year 2

NB. Programmes and units are subject to change at any time, in accordance with normal University procedures.