This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2016-2017 (archived)
Module CHEM2077: CHEMISTRY OF THE ELEMENTS
Department: Chemistry
CHEM2077: CHEMISTRY OF THE ELEMENTS
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 2 | 10 | Available in 2016/2017 | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- Core Chemistry 1A (CHEM1078).
Corequisites
- Core Chemistry 2 (CHEM2012) AND Practical Chemistry 2 - Inorganic (CHEM2107).
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;
- Clusters of main group elements, Wade's rules.
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;
- rationalise the bonding and structures of electron-precise and electron-deficient clusters of main group and transition metal elements
Subject-specific Skills
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.
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.
- Workshops are given to ensure that the students have grasped the key concepts given in the lectures and to practice examples of problems. The work is formatively assessed.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 | 1 per week | 1 Hour | 18 | |
| Workshops | 2 | 2 in Term 3 | 1.5 hours | 3 | Yes |
| Preparation and Reading | 79 | ||||
| Total | 100 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 100% | Written examination | 2 hours | 100% | Two 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.