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CH10193: General practical chemistry

[Page last updated: 05 August 2021]

Academic Year: 2021/2
Owning Department/School: Department of Chemistry
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: PR 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Practical (PR 99%)
  • Practical Attendance (PR 1% - Qualifying Mark: 100)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites: Before taking this module you must take CH10009
Aims: To introduce students to the basic techniques of synthetic, physical and computational chemistry. To foster a good scientific style in the presentation of data and to develop students' ability to manipulate and interpret scientific data. To relate experimental work to the scientific theory behind the experiment and thus give a fuller understanding of the theory.

Learning Outcomes: After successfully completing the unit, students should be able to:
* Use scientific apparatus with care and confidence.
* Make essential observations accurately and estimate possible measurement errors.
* Manipulate and present scientific data in a clear and logical way, including the use of significant figures.
* Produce a scientific report of their work.
* Gain a critical appreciation of the purpose, significance and limitations of any experimental study.
* Make careful observations of chemical reactions and explain them in terms of chemical equations.
* Perform straightforward synthetic and purification procedures.
* Use volumetric glassware and balances in the correct manner.
* Relate the mechanistic organic chemistry from lecture units to the appropriate laboratory experiment.
* Use a computational chemistry package to optimise molecular geometries and use other features within the software.
* Apply mathematical methods to the solution of a range of chemical problems based across all disciplines of chemistry.

Skills: Research Methods (T, F, A), Numeracy (F, A), Problem solving (T, F, A), Scientific writing (F, A), Independent working (F).

Content: Qualitative analysis; quantitative analysis by titration, flame photometry, gravimetry and spectrophotometry; preparation of selected inorganic compounds and their reaction chemistry; ion-exchange chromatography.
Reactions of double bonds, electrophilic addition. Reactions involving the carbonyl group, to include the aldol reaction, synthesis of esters and amides. Electrophilic aromatic substitution. Retrieval of information from the scientific literature. Computational chemistry and the concept of relative energies. Determination of thermodynamic properties of chemical reactions using thermochemical and electrochemical approaches. Spectroscopic analysis of compounds to measure physical properties. Study of the rates of chemical reactions by a number of methods.

Programme availability:

CH10193 is a Designated Essential Unit 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)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.