Chemical Principles

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Be able to assemble glassware and apparatus to conduct basic chemical experiments.
• Interpret basic data from a range of physical techniques to characterise chemical compounds.
• Evaluate the risks associated with an experiment and understand how to mitigate against those risks.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• Discuss how reaction conditions affect biological chemical processes.
• Recognise and apply the concepts: 'functional group', 'aromaticity', and 'electronegativity'.
• Derive names for and use a range of drawn representations to describe chemical compounds.
• Use ‘curly arrows’ to represent the movement of electron pairs.
• Qualitatively discuss the structure of a multi-electron atom to explain the basis of and trends within the Periodic Table.
• Define the terms: acids, bases and explain how the structure of molecules affects these properties.
• Describe bonding models that can be applied to a consideration of the properties and shapes of organic and inorganic molecules, using both VSEPR and hybridisation methods.

Lecture content:

Atomic orbital theory;

Hydrogenic atoms, wavefunctions and their solutions, quantum numbers and atomic orbitals;

Radial and angular wavefunctions and the shapes of atomic orbitals;

Electron spin, aufbau principles, electronic structure, shielding/penetration and the Periodic Table;

Periodicity – variations in electronegativity, oxidation state, metallic character, atomic size and ionisation energy within the periodic table;

Covalent bonding in diatomic molecules, Lewis model and valence bond theory, Hybridisation and pi-bonds;

Molecular orbitals and bonding;

Valence bond and molecular orbital theory for polyatomic molecules, hybridisation, sigma-bonds, resonance, hypervalency;

Drawing and naming organic molecules;

Structure and Isomerism in main group species, transition metal complexes, alkenes (E/Z) and saturated molecules (R/S, diastereomers, conformers) including optical activity;

Acidity and basicity – pKa’s and pH. Effect of structure (Inductive and resonance effects – basic curly arrows) on acidity and basicity (inorganic acids, carboxylic acids, phenols, alcohols, alkynes, amides, carbonyl compounds, amines);

Affects of pH and other reaction conditions on simple biological processes;

Functional Groups;

Aromatic (including heteroaromatic) compounds and aromaticity.

Practical exercises to illustrate:

Monitoring of chemical reactions;

Determination of chemical structure;

Assembly of chemical apparatus;

Measurement in chemistry.

Lectures, problem-solving workshops with group working and tutor support.

Practical chemistry: Pre-laboratory e-learning; pre-lab skills lectures/ Seminars; practical sessions, supporting demonstrations, group and one-to-one tuition.

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Practical exercise

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: orally in the laboratory and online for e-learning.
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.