This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2010-2011 (archived)
Module CHEM2021: CHEMISTRY OF THE ELEMENTS
Department: Chemistry
CHEM2021: CHEMISTRY OF THE ELEMENTS
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 2 | 20 | Available in 2010/2011 | None. | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- Core Chemistry 1A (CHEM1012).
Corequisites
- Core Chemistry 2 (CHEM2012).
Excluded Combinations
- None.
Aims
- To develop and consolidate principles of bonding and transition metal chemistry, and to study selected areas in more detail.
Content
- Chemistry of the s and p block: covalent compounds, structure, bonding and stability.
- Magnetic and spectral properties of transition-metal compounds, electronic spectra;
- Practical work.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- Describe and rationalize the detailed chemistry of the s and p-block elements, and give a description of the bonding in compounds featuring these elements.
- Interpret (and predict) spectral and magnetic properties of transition metal complexes, use of Orgel diagrams, appreciate the modifications made for orbital overlap, and use orbital contributions to magnetic moments and colour to deduce information about a complex's stereochemistry.
Subject-specific Skills
- Perform more complex experiments in inorganic chemistry.
Key Skills
- Written communication, advanced through the use of essay type questions in lecture-support worksheets and laboratory reports.
- Problem-solving, developed through workshop classes.
- Numerical skills applied through calculations required in practical experiments and in the analysis of data collected in laboratory assignments.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Lectures are used to convey concepts and are examined by written papers. This is the best method to assess the knowledge of the students.
- Laboratory classes teach students techniques in various aspects of inorganic chemistry. They are continuously assessed so that the student can learn from one session to the next.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 | 1 per week | 1 Hour | 20 | |
| Practicals | 20 | 4 per week in Term 2 | 3 Hours | 60 | Yes |
| Workshops | 2 | 2 in Term 3 | 1.5 hours | 3 | Yes |
| Preparation and Reading | 117 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 65% | Written examination | 2 hours | 100% | Two hour written examination |
| Laboratory Work | 35% | results of laboratory work | 100% | One hour written examination |
Formative Assessment
Set work in preparation for workshops.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.