CH1PR1: Chemistry Practicals 1

Module code: CH1PR1

Module provider: Chemistry; School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Dr Jessica Gusthart, email: j.s.gusthart@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE CH1IN1 AND TAKE CH1OR1 AND TAKE CH1PP2 (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module aims to equip students with basic skills in practical chemistry and underline the principles described in the accompanying first year chemistry modules. It introduces students to the fundamental software packages required for chemical report writing.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Safely perform straightforward laboratory manipulations including titrations, simple organic and inorganic preparations, isolations and characterisations such as melting points and obtaining routine spectral data
2. Observe, record, analyse and draw conclusions from results from practical assignments
3. Perform fundamental statistical analysis including estimating errors, commenting on the significance of results and the appropriateness of the methodology
4. Use basic software packages in report writing to produce chemical structures and present data in suitable formats
5. Demonstrate an awareness of safe-working and hazards including the preparation of COSHH assessments

Module content

Labs will be divided into four 5-week sections and will run across both semester 1 and 2:

Introduction to practical and analytical laboratory techniques: writing COSHH forms, general laboratory etiquette, basic statistical analysis of data and practical experiments covering a range of basic laboratory techniques that will be required throughout the rest of the degree programme.

Practical inorganic chemistry: experiments covering topics such as the chemistry of various s-, p- and d-block elements and compounds, electrochemistry and redox reactions, synthesis and analysis of inorganic compounds, titrations, complementary to Module CH1IN1.

Practical organic chemistry: experiments covering topics such as esterification, nucleophilic substitution, aromatic substitution and reactions of alkenes, complementary to Module CH1OR1.

Practical physical chemistry: experiments based on topics such as equilibria, kinetics and thermodynamics, complementary to Module CH1PP2.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The course involves twenty lots of seven-hour practical sessions, supported by an academic and PhD student demonstrators. Each five week section will be introduced with a short lecture to outline that part of the course in the first week. Each five week section will have one summative assessment point associated with it. Formative assessments will be included to aid preparation for the summative assessment. 

Study hours

At least 144 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve all of the following to pass this module:

1. A minimum attendance of 85% overall for the practical sessions
2. An overall module mark of 40%

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Each section will build in a formative task designed to support students in preparing for the summative assessments.

Reassessment

Additional costs