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CHEM1001: Quantitative Chemistry

Course Organizer: Dr Katherine B Holt

Lecturers: Dr Simon. T. Banks , Prof Nik Kaltsoyannis, Professor Sally L Price, Dr David M Rowley, Dr Andrew S Wills, Dr M Zwijnenburg.

Normal prerequisite: GCSE Maths 

Units: 1

Course evaluation: 2011/12 (pdf)

Moodle page: http://moodle.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3499 

Aims

The aim of this course is to provide those students who have not studied 'A' level Mathematics with the basic mathematical skills required for a degree in Chemistry.

Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to

  • Manipulate units
  • Perform error analysis
  • Manipulate simple algebraic expressions
  • Sketch simple functions
  • Use geometric progressions and series
  • Perform differentiation and integration of functions with one variable
  • Perform statistical analysis of data
  • Use the Excel spreadsheet package
  • Perform partial differentiation and integrate functions with more than one variable
  • Solve simple differential equations
  • Understand complex numbers
  • Manipulate matrices

Course Structure

  • Lectures: 63
  • Tutorials: 0
  • Labs: 0

Assessment

  • Exam: 50% (5 X 1 hours)
  • Lab: 0%
  • Coursework: 50%

Practical course organizer:

N/A

Recommended Texts

  • "Foundations of Science Mathematics" by D S Sivia and S G Rawlings, Oxford Chemistry Primers Series (no 77), Oxford University Press.
  • "Maths for Chemists" Vol I and II, MCR Cockett and G Doggett, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2004
  • "Maths for Chemistry" by Paul Monk, Oxford University Press, 2006

Further Reading

  • "Foundations of Science Mathematics: worked problems" by D S Sivia and S G Rawlings, Oxford Chemistry Primers Series (no 82), Oxford University Press.

Course Outline

This is a core 1st year Chemistry course for students who do not have an 'A' level in Mathematics.

Assessment on this course will be made on the basis of coursework (50%) and written examinations (50 minutes each) at the end of each module (50%). There is no final examination for this course.

Module 1: Quantitative Chemistry (DMR)
This module is taken by all students studying Chemistry and forms part of 1004. There is no examination in this module. Measurements and their units; manipulating and converting units; dimensional analysis; error analysis; absolute and relative errors; error propagation.

Module 2: Fundamentals of algebra (ASW)
Equations; functions; powers; rearranging equations; factorising; solving simultaneous equations; quadratic equations; sketching functions; logarithms and exponentials; trigonometric functions; series and progressions.

Module 3: Calculus of functions with one variable (SLP)
Differentiation; simple rules for differentiation; differentiating special functions (e.g. exp, ln, sin, cos); product rule; quotient rule; functions of functions; second derivatives; integration; evaluating integrals; properties of integrals; integration by substitution; integrating by parts; solving differential equations by separation of variables.

Module 4: Statistics and data analysis (STB)
Students will use the Excel spreadsheet package to perform statistical analysis of data in this module. Mean; deviation from the mean; symmetry of data; probability distributions; permutations and combinations; Gaussian distribution; analysis of more than one variable; regression analysis; error propagation (including logs and exponentials).

Module 5: Complex numbers and matrices (MZ)
Complex numbers; spherical and polar coordinates; modulus; complex conjugates; determinants; matrices; matrix multiplication; inverse of a matrix; eigen-values.

Module 6: Advanced calculus (NK)
Revision of differentiation; Taylor series; partial derivatives; revision of integration; integration of functions with more than one variable; differential equations; vectors; dot and cross products.