CHEM 3111 - Chemistry III

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2018

This course is foundational to all Level 3 studies in Chemistry. It will commence with the use of spectroscopic techniques, particularly IR & NMR, and mass spectrometry for the determination of chemical structures. A review of molecular symmetry with applications to molecular orbitals and spectroscopy will be described, and the spectroscopic interaction of matter with varying forms of radiation will be examined, including the phenomena of absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence. A variety of spectroscopies will be explored in detail. Strategies for solving problems related to chemical composition, reaction mechanisms and structure will be emphasised, with a particular focus on physical organic chemistry and statistics in chemistry. Strategies and tactics used in the synthesis of new molecular architectures will be introduced, and there will be an emphasis on developing a logical approach to planning a synthesis. This includes an introduction to inorganic reaction mechanisms and fundamental aspects of organometallic chemistry.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code CHEM 3111
    Course Chemistry III
    Coordinating Unit School of Physical Sciences
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 6
    Contact Up to 18 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y
    Prerequisites CHEM 2510 & CHEM 2520 or equivalent
    Course Description This course is foundational to all Level 3 studies in Chemistry. It will commence with the use of spectroscopic techniques, particularly IR & NMR, and mass spectrometry for the determination of chemical structures. A review of molecular symmetry with applications to molecular orbitals and spectroscopy will be described, and the spectroscopic interaction of matter with varying forms of radiation will be examined, including the phenomena of absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence. A variety of spectroscopies will be explored in detail. Strategies for solving problems related to chemical composition, reaction mechanisms and structure will be emphasised, with a particular focus on physical organic chemistry and statistics in chemistry. Strategies and tactics used in the synthesis of new molecular architectures will be introduced, and there will be an emphasis on developing a logical approach to planning a synthesis. This includes an introduction to inorganic reaction mechanisms and fundamental aspects of organometallic chemistry.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Associate Professor David Huang

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    A successful student should be able to:
    1 Understand the fundamental principles of NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry and develop and apply methodology to interpret spectra (UV, IR, MS, 1-D and 2-D 1H and 13C NMR) of unknown samples in order to determine their structure.
    2 Apply the principles of retrosynthetic analysis to the design of efficient syntheses of organic molecules and understand issues of selectivity (including chemo-, regio-, and steroselectivity) as applied to complex molecule synthesis.
    3 Understand the mechanisms of organic reactions proceeding via unstable reactive intermediates, and to apply these transformations to the design and synthesis of complex molecules.
    4 Describe and explain the reaction rates and mechanisms of ligand substitution reactions at metal centres and understand the standard mechanisms involved in organometallic catalysis, including oxidative addition, reductive elimination, and migratory insertion.
    5 Understand the mechanism of interaction between electromagnetic radiation and molecules and apply this knowledge to absorption and emission spectroscopy.
    6 Understand and apply the principles of statistical thermodynamics to relate the microscopic properties of atoms and molecules to the macroscopic thermodynamic properties of matter.
    7 Demonstrate proficiency in undertaking individual and/or team-based laboratory investigations using appropriate apparatus and safe laboratory practices.
    8 Collect, record, analyse and interpret results of an experiment, and effectively communicate these results in written reports.
    9 Design and plan an investigation by selecting and applying appropriate practical and/or theoretical techniques or tools.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1-9
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1-6,8,9
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    7,8
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1-9
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    7-9
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    7-9
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    There is no prescribed text for this course.
    Recommended Resources
    • 'Organic Chemistry’ (Bruice, 5th Edition, Pearson Education, 2007)
    • 'Organic Chemistry’ (Clayden, Greeves, Warren and Wothers, Oxford University Press, 2001)
    • 'Inorganic Chemistry’ (Shriver & Atkins, 5th Edition, Oxford University Press, 2010)
    • 'Inorganic Chemistry' (Housecroft & Sharp, 4th Edition, Pearson, 2012)
    • 'Physical Chemistry’ (Atkins, 8th Edition, Oxford University Press, 2006)
    • 'A Guide to Lasers in Chemistry’ (Van Hecke & Karukstis, Jones & Bartlett, 1998)
    • 'Spectrometric Identification of Organic Compounds' (Silverstein, 7th Edition, Wiley Press, 2005)
    • 'SI Chemical Data' (Aylward, 6th Edition, Wiley Press, 2007)
    • 'Pushing Electrons’ (Weeks, 3rd Edition, Harcourt College Publishers, 1998)
    • 'Modern Physical Organic Chemistry’ (Ansyln and Dougherty, University Science Books)
    • 'Molecular Spectroscopy’ (Banwell, 4th Ed., McGraw Hill, 1994) out of print
    All of these texts (except where noted) are available for purchase from UniBooks and all are available for
    loan from the Barr Smith library. Some are also available for consultation in the Chemistry Resource
    Centre (Rm 120, Johnson Laboratories).

    References to other material and recent literature will be given in lectures.

    Maths Resources
    The Maths Learning Centre (MLC) helps all students learn and use the maths they need at uni. The MLC offers seminars, workshops, online, and print resources.  It also run a drop-in room in Hub Central from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday during teaching weeks. For more information, visit http://www.adelaide.edu.au/mathslearning/

    For chemistry-specific maths help, visit http://www.adelaide.edu.au/mathslearning/resources/chem/

    Online Learning
    MyUni: Teaching materials and course documentation will be posted on the MyUni website (http://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/).
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    • Lectures 24 x 2-hour sessions with two sessions per week
    • Labs 11 x 5.5-hour sessions with one session per week
    • Practicals 11 x 5.5-hour sessions with one session per week
    • Tutorials 22 x 1-hour sessions with two sessions per week
    NOTE: Practicals and labs are technically the same but are named differently for timetabling purposes.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    A student enrolled in a 6 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 24 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).
    Learning Activities Summary
    Coursework
    Spectroscopy & Structure Determination
    Physical Organic Chemistry
    Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms & Organometallic Chemistry
    Strategies and Tactics of Synthesis
    Statistical Methods
    Radiation & Matter

    Practicals/Labs
    Practical exercises will provide students with "hands on" experience in the quantitative use of various analytical methods. In addition, students will be involved in the analysis of "real world" chemical samples.

    Tutorials
    Tutorials will be used to reinforce the concepts introduced in lectures through a combination of quantitative problem solving (what is present, and in what quantity), a discussion of the operational principles, including the strengths and weaknesses of various quantitative chemical methods, and consideration of appropriate possible solutions to chemical problems that have been identified through quantitative chemical analysis.
    Specific Course Requirements
    Attendance is compulsory at all scheduled chemistry practical sessions. The learning outcomes for this course are substantially dependent on laboratory experience and practice. Therefore, missing any practical class in a semester will result in a grade of FAIL being recorded for the course. Students with medical or compassionate reasons for non-attendance will be given an opportunity to make up missed practical
    sessions. 

    Rather than a printed lab manual for the course, you will access all the experiments from the MyUNI website. You are expected to print off the experiment you will be doing and bring this to the lab. In addition, you will be provided with a carbon-copy lab book, which you will use to enter your data and write your reports.

    Safety glasses (please note that prescription glasses cannot be worn as safety glasses), lab coats and shoes that cover the feet completely (no holes or cutouts – lace-up shoes, sneakers or boots only; ballet flats are not acceptable) must be worn in the laboratory. Long hair must be tied back.You will not be allowed into the laboratory unless you are wearing safety glasses, a lab coat and appropriate footwear.

    NOTE: If you miss a lab without a valid reason for doing so, you will receive a mark of 0 for that lab.

    Practical work for all courses (both Semester 1 and Semester 2) will start in Week 2 and will end in Week 12. Each practical session runs from 12:10 pm to 6:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays. It is essential that you consult the Laboratory Schedule (on MyUNI) so that you turn up for the right lab on the right day(s)! For all courses, there are a number of different locations for experiments –again, check the Laboratory Schedule on MyUni for details. However, the laboratories are only open from 12:30 pm to 5:45 pm to allow for practical pre-work (see below) and clean-up to occur.

    There is a variety of pre-work (including safety knowledge) required for all of the experiments. This is outlined at the beginning of each experiment. You will not be able to begin practical work until all of the pre-work has been completed to a satisfactory standard. It is intended that you complete this pre-work in the time allocated between 12 noon and 12:30 pm.

    More information and details of experiments may be found on the MyUNI website.
    Details of labs for Semester 2 courses will be made available later in Semester 1.
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    In the Spectroscopy Workshops, students work in small groups to identify unknown chemical compounds using spectroscopic techniques under the supervision of a senior academic in six 3-hour sessions.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Hurdle
    Yes or No
    Learning Outcome
    Spectroscopy Assignment Formative & Summative

    Week 10

    7.5% No 1-6,9

    Summative assignments Formative & Summative Weeks 7,8,9,10,12 10% No 2-6
    Practical/Lab Formative & Summative Every week (weeks 2-5 and 9-12)
    Major Reports due weeks 7 & 13
    22.5% No 1-9
    Exams Summative Examination period 60% Yes (45%) 1-6
    Assessment Related Requirements
    Practical work is compulsory  – This includes attendance, conduct of required experimental work, attendance at demonstrator interviews (as required) and submission of laboratory reports. The learning outcomes for this course are substantially dependent on laboratory experience and practice.  Therefore, missing any practical class in a semester will result in a grade of FAIL being recorded for the course. Students with medical or compassionate reasons for non-attendance will be given an opportunity to make up missed practical sessions.

    To pass this course, students must attain a minimum of 45% for the examination and attend all practicals. Students who attain a final course grade of at least 45% but do not attain a minimum of 45% for the exam may be offered an Additional Academic Exam during the Replacement/Additional Assessment period, in line with the Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy.
    Assessment Detail
    Summative Assignments
    Students will complete an assignment on the course material. There will be 5 assignments on the 5 topics each worth 2%. The topics are Physical Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms & Organometallic Chemistry, Strategies and Tactics of Synthesis, Statistical Mechanics, and Radiation & Matter. Each assignment will consist of a series of short-answer and/or multiple-choice questions.

    Spectroscopy Assignment

    Students undertake the spectroscopy workshop during three weeks of normal lab sessions. They are then given a spectroscopy assignment which is worth 7.5% of the assessment, in which the students answer short-answer questions involving interpretation spectra (UV, IR, MS, 1-D and 2-D 1H and 13C NMR) of unknown samples in order to determine their structure.

    Practical/Lab
    Each experiment will be assessed on laboratory results (yield, appearance of product, melting point, graphs, quality of data etc.) as well as the laboratory note books and report. In the Synthesis part of the practical course, students complete a set of 5 experiments over 8 sessions and submit a short practical report on completion of each experiment, each worth 1/5 of 5.25% of the assessment. In the Measurement & Analysis part of the practical course, they complete another set of 4 experiments: one session is allocated for completion of each experiment and another session for the analysis of results and completion of a short lab report, each worth 1/4 of 4.25% of the assessment. Students also submit extended lab reports for two experiments selected from each of the two practical cycles. Each of the extended reports is worth 3% of the assessment in the Synthesis section and 3.5% of the assessment in the Measurement & Analysis section.


    Examination (split into 2 papers)
    The two end-of-semester examinations will be based primarily on lecture/tutorial material and will consist of a series of short-answer and/or multiple-choice questions.
    Submission

    Submission of Assigned Work
    Coversheets must be completed and attached to all submitted work. Coversheets can be obtained from the School Office (room G33 Physics) or from MyUNI. Work should be submitted via the assignment drop box at the School Office.

    Extensions for Assessment Tasks
    Extensions of deadlines for assessment tasks may be allowed for reasonable causes. Such situations would include compassionate and medical grounds of the severity that would justify the awarding of a supplementary examination. Evidence for the grounds must be provided when an extension is requested. Students are required to apply for an extension to the Course Coordinator before the assessment task is due. Extensions will not be provided on the grounds of poor prioritising of time. The assessment extension application form can be obtained from: http://www.sciences.adelaide.edu.au/current/ 

    Late submission of assessments
    If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days or more late without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the mark.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.