Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives On the completion of this subject students will have
encountered the chemistry of the carbonyl group with particular emphasis on aldehydes, ketones, keto-acids and [[alpha]] and [[beta]], unsaturated carbonyl compounds; be able to appreciate the importance of products derived from nature to our modern society by examining the chemistry present within a range of natural products; examined the interrelation of thermodynamics, equilibrium and electrochemistry and illustrate how the properties of dilute solutions, both ideal and real, can be quantified and explained by the application of thermodynamic concepts; explored the uses and limitations of several aspects and theories of conductance for electrolytic solutions, and methods of determining transport numbers and activities/activity coefficients of ions in such media; described the chemical properties of the transition elements and appreciate the classic and novel theories for the structures of coordination compounds; investigated the chemistry of organic nitrogen compounds including amines; azo, diazo, the diazonium salts; proteins and amino acids; developed an appreciation of some of the strategies employed in the synthesis of organic compounds.
Synopsis This subject is designed to extend the breadth of the student's knowledge of chemistry beyond the topics covered in GAS2251. The areas of study in GAS2252 are electrochemistry, transition metals and coordination chemistry, organic nitrogen compounds, natural products, dilute and electrolytic solutions, introduction to organic synthesis, and carbonyl group compounds. The subject is taught in the internal mode by lectures and laboratory classes. The laboratory component is conducted over a five-day `vacation school' in years when the distance education mode occurs. Detailed study guides are provided for distance education students.
Assessment Progressive assessment: 70% + Laboratory: 30% + Progressive assessment involves topic tests and examinations + Laboratory assessment includes written reports, a short verbal examination and laboratory notebook keeping + Students are required to pass both the theory and laboratory components in order to gain credit for the subject + Relevance of laboratory work to theoretical study: laboratory exercises are integrated with the lecture topics.