| CODE | RFS1200 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Chemistry for the Rural Sciences | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Rural Sciences and Food Systems | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit is composed of three parts. The students will be introduced to the principles of Inorganic Chemistry which specifically deals with the electronic configuration of atoms; bonding and intermolecular forces in inorganic chemistry. The concept of moles will be introduced to students with an emphasis on how moles can be used to work out yields of products in reactions and the preparation of solutions. The; acids and bases; buffers; oxidation states; coordination chemistry. Organic chemistry is described in terms of the main properties of carbon. This will lead students to understand mechanisms of reactions. The role of organic acids and bases will be discussed in the light of biological systems. The unit will further the study of organic and inorganic substances by spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. Study-unit Aims To introduce students to the fundamentals of chemistry to provide a basis for the understanding of the dynamic behaviour of chemical systems in the context of rural sciences. Learning Outcomes 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1) compare and contrast the constituents of an atom; electrons, protons and neutrons; 2) explain the different regions of the periodic table; and discuss the trends in atomic size and ionisation energy down a group and across a period; 3) relate the electronic properties of atoms to bonding types; 4) define acids and bases, and relate the pH to acids and bases; 5) contrast between different types of isomerism (structural, geometric, optical); 6) illustrate mechanisms of reactions and identifying the role of electrophiles and nucleophiles; 7) define acids and bases, and relate the Ka and Kb constants for weak acids and bases respectively; 8) compare and contrast between different analytical techniques; 9) explain separation techniques used in relation to the compounds in question. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1) determine the nature of a compound and hence its physical and chemical properties; 2) use the periodic table to explain the nature of elements under different conditions; 3) use moles to work out standard solutions, minerals and nutrients in tissue culture media; titrimetric methods; 4) discuss the role of dative covalent bonding, hydrogen bonding and intermolecular forces in macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids; 5) relate organic structures to pesticides and bioactive compounds, e.g. antibiotics; 6) apply identification techniques to unknown chemical compounds. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings - Housecroft, Catherine E. Inorganic chemistry. 2nd ed. Pearson/Prentice-Hall, 2005. 949 p. 0-13-039913-2. (Main Library). - Geoff Rayner-Canham. Descriptive inorganic chemistry. 2nd ed. Freeman, 2000. 0-7167-3553-9. (Main Library). - John McMurry. Fundamentals of organic chemistry. 7th ed. Brooks/Cole/Cengage Learning, 2011. 598, 47, 12 p. 9781439049716. (Main Library). - Peter Vollhardt, Neil Schore. Organic chemistry : structure and function. 6th ed. W.H. Freeman, 2011. 9781429204941. (Main Library). - Gary D. Christian. Analytical chemistry. 6th ed. Wiley, 2004. 0471214728. (Main Library). - Douglas A. Skoog. Fundamentals of analytical chemistry. 8th ed., International student ed. Thomson, 2004. 0-534-41797-3. (Main Library). - Dean RJ, Jones AM, Holmes D, Reed R, Weyers J, Jones A. Practical Skills in Chemistry. Prentice Hall. UK. 362pp. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Co-requisite Study-units: RFS1100 or related study-unit | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Tutorial | ||||||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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