CHM3637

Advanced chemical principles

Dr Ray Mayes

New introduction in 1999

4 points - Second semester - 2 hours of lectures per week and 4 hours of practical work per fortnight - Gippsland/Distance - Prerequisites: CHM2616 - Prohibitions: GAS3251, GAS3252, CHM3031, CHM3042

Objectives On the successful completion of this subject students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the chemical and thermodynamic principles which govern surface properties and surface interactions between chemical substances; apply extensions of the concepts of phase equilibria introduced in second level chemistry to problems involving three component systems; discuss the origin and nature of the charged surfaces which occur in colloids, the colloidal state in general, and the factors which affect the stability of both lyophobic and lyophilic sols in particular; describe and apply several important kinetic and optical properties of colloidal materials in the determination of average macromolecular masses; demonstrate an understanding of the transition state theory of reaction kinetics and its applications in the explanations of reaction rates; discuss the fundamental theory of heterogeneous catalysis and provide examples of industrially important heterogeneously catalysed reactions; display high level writing skills for laboratory practical reports.

Synopsis CHM3637 is comprised of selected advanced topics from physical chemistry which include surface chemistry, three-component phase equilibria, colloidal/macromolecular chemistry, molecular reaction dynamics, chemical kinetics and catalysis. The subject is conducted by a combination of lectures, tutorials and laboratory work under the direction of a small team of lecturers.

Assessment Theory component (examinations and assignments): 76% - Practical work (6 laboratory exercises and written reports): 24% - Relevance of laboratory work to theoretical study: the main emphasis of the laboratory course at this level is on development of a high level of competence in skills and techniques relevant to the professional industrial chemist - A pass in both the theory and practical components is mandatory.

Prescribed texts

Atkins P W Physical chemistry 5th edn, OUP, 1994
Shaw D Introduction to colloid and surface chemistry 4th edn, Butterworth, 1992

Recommended texts

Kirkup L Experimental methods: An introduction to the presentation of data Wiley, 1994

Back to the 1999 Science Handbook