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2011/2 Provisional Module Catalogue - UNDER CONSTRUCTION & SUBJECT TO CHANGE
 Module Code: CHE1031 Module Title: TRANSFERABLE AND QUANTITATIVE SKILLS 1
Module Provider: Chemical Sciences Short Name: CHE1031
Level: HE1 Module Co-ordinator: WARD NI Prof (Chem Science)
Number of credits: 15 Number of ECTS credits: 7.5
 
Module Availability
Semester One
Assessment Pattern

Coursework (67%) consisting of transferable skills

 

Written Mathematics Examination (1.5 hours) (33%)

 
Module Overview
Prerequisites/Co-requisites
Module Aims
  • To improve modes of scientific communication, including oral and written presentations, the use of information retrieval systems and technology, use of chemical journals, basic study skills, practical report writing, team working;
  • To improve the students’ awareness of self-reflection and personal professional development planning (PPD);
  • To improve the students’ awareness of quantitative methods of analysis, including fundamental mathematical calculations applied to chemistry;
  • To develop an understanding of the various ways that computers can be used in chemistry; and
  • To become proficient in problem-solving in chemistry through the use of computers and team working.
Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module you should, or should be able to:

 

·         prepare a reflection log of study management and a personal professional development planning programme (PPD)

 

·         prepare and deliver professional oral presentations

 

·         understand definitions and appreciate the consequences of plagiarism

 

·         understand how to use information technology in relation to study skills, reports and scientific presentations;

 

·         prepare a basic scientific report and embed into this document a range of objects, including tables, charts, graphics, chemical formulae, photographs and graphics;

 

·         understand how to participate as an effective team player

 

·         be familiar with the internet for reviewing chemical publications and other chemistry-based literature.

 

·       understand how computers are playing a major part in chemistry at both the “user” and “developer” levels;

 

·       have achieved a level of IT competency;

 

·       understand how computers can be used as effective problem solvers throughout chemistry using a range of simple and sophisticated applications.

 

 

Mathematics Group A (Fundamental):

 

·       handle and reorganise different algebraic expressions;

 

·       differentiate between linear and non-linear functions;

 

·       represent functions as graphs;

 

·       understand the nature of powers, exponentials and logarithms;

 

·       solve quadratic equations by factorisation and formula;

 

·       understand the nature of matrices and simple matrices and determinants in solving sets of linear simultaneous equations;

 

·       understand simple trigonometry and vectors.

 

 

Mathematics Group B (Advanced):

 

·       recognize a non-linear equation and appreciate the method of solution;

 

·       understand the methods of curve fitting and interpolation using a range of methods;

 

·       understand the nature of matrices and simple matrix algebra and use matrices and determinants in solving sets of linear simultaneous equations and where things go wrong;

 

·       appreciate the properties of vectors in describing molecular structure and properties;

 

·       understand how to solve equations with complex roots;

 

·       represent functions as Taylor/Maclaurin series expansions.

 
Module Content

NIW/JP/CL

 

1-12

 

Field trip – group oral presentation to report data from field trip
Production of ‘New Chemistry’ journal cover and 1 page report on ‘Industry Day’.
PPD, Reflection and study management (using the VLE)

 

Scientific document retrieval – includes hard and soft copy sources. Library, Science Direct, WoK, EndNote Web, CWYW, Google Scholar, Athens etc.  Produce a review of two different journal styles and two different book styles

 

Scientific document writing (dissertations and reports – use of tables, figures, schematics, equations etc and plagiarism)

 

Effective team player exercise – Lego and orienteering

 

BJH / MP

 

13-22

 

What is IT competency? – computers and their uses in chemistry (a brief review); software for displaying molecules – drawing molecules in 2d, molecular modelling packages, designing and displaying molecules in 3D; what is molecular geometry? – the calculation of geometry and energy; simple conformational analysis; brief review of programming – components of a program, variables, operators and expressions; introduction to VBA and how it can be used; popular software applications, document processing, spreadsheets and databases – chemical examples; setting up and using an Access Database.

MP/MB

 

23-33

 

Mathematics Group A (Fundamental):

 

Numbers, scientific notation and significant figures; aspects of algebra: simplification, rearranging equations, factorising; graphs: pictorial representation of functions, straight lines, plotting non-linear functions; powers, exponentials and logarithms: non-linear functions; simple matrix algebra involving addition, subtraction and multiplication of matrices. The matrix inverse and determinants. Use of matrix algebra in solving sets of linear equations; simple trigonometry, the sine and cosine rule, application to molecular geometry; introduction to vectors and vector operations.

 

Mathematics Group B (Advanced):

 

Non-linear equations and their methods of solution; interpolation of 1st and higher order functions using difference formulae; understand the nature of matrices and simple matrix algebra and use matrices and determinants in solving sets of linear simultaneous equations using a range of methods – pathological systems; application to sets of non-linear equations; vector algebra – addition and subtraction of vectors, scalar (dot) product and vector (cross) product – vector derivatives; introduction to complex numbers; Maclaurin and Taylor series expansions.

 
Methods of Teaching/Learning
Lectures, workshops and tutorials
Selected Texts/Journals

Essential:

 

(Group A): Monk, P.; Munro J. L.: (2010) Maths for Chemistry 2ndEdn, Oxford University Press.

 

(Group B): Steiner, E.: (2008) The Chemistry Maths Book 2ndEdn, Oxford University Press.

 
Last Updated
21 April 2011