9 ECTS credits
243 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 1018162ANR for all students in the 1st and 2nd semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.
Content
In the first semester part (ca 24 hours of theory lectures) the following topics will be addressed:
Chapter 1: "Matter", with as main topics the general characteristics of matter and physical transformations, the concept “chemical characteristics” and “reactions”, the mass laws, a general overview of the submicroscopic structure of pure chemical compounds, symbols and formulas, elementary nomenclature (to learn by self-study), relative atomic and molecular masses, molar mass and number of Avogadro, description of mixtures and ideal gases.
Chapter 2: "The Chemical Reaction", with as main topics their symbolic description, the main reaction types in aqueous solution (solubilization and precipitation, acid – base reactions, reduction - oxidations), stoichiometric calculations and titrations.
Chapter 3: "Chemical Thermodynamics and Equilibria", with as main topics the concepts “thermodynamics” and “thermochemistry”, including “internal energy”, “heat” and "work”, “enthalpy”, “free enthalpy”, “entropy” in the first, second and/or third law of thermodynamics, and the main laws of chemical equilibria, including equilibrium constants and reaction quotients.
Chapter 4: "Acid - Base Equilibria", with as main topics strong and weak acids and bases, the self-ionization of water, the relation between acidity and basicity constants within acid-base pairs, the pH-scale, pH-calculations, including buffers, polyprotic acids and bases, amphiprotic substances and acid-base titrations.
Chapter 5: "Electrochemistry", with as main topics the relation between the concepts “free enthalpy”, “electrical energy”, “electromotive force” and “electrochemical cells”, batteries, corrosion as well as electrolysis, illustrated in each case with a few industrial applications.
Chapter 6: "Chemical Kinetics", with as main topics the concepts “reaction mechanism” and “reactie pathway”, reaction rate, processing experimental reaction rate equations, reaction rate and temperature, catalysis and catalysts.
These lectures are complemented by 6 problem solving sessions lasting 3 hours each on the successive topics “Stoichiometry and ideal gasses”, “Thermodynamics and Chemical equilibria”, “Acid-base equilibria and pH-calculations”, ”Redox reactions, batteries and electrolysis cells”, “Solubility and solubilization equilibria”, "Chemical kinetics".
In the second semester part (ca 30 hours of theory lectures) the following topics will be addressed:
Chapter 7: "Physical states and transformations - Phase laws", with as main topics the concepts “physical states and transformations" of pure compounds, phase diagrams, phase transformations in homogeneous mixtures of liquids, phase transformations in heterogeneous mixtures of substances.
Chapter 8: "The Electron Configuration of Atoms", with as main topics the concept “ionization energy of atoms”, the interaction electromagnetic radiation – matter, the duality particle – wave in matter, the electron configuration of multi-electron atoms, and atomic radii.
Chapter 9: "The Chemical Bond", with as main topics the concept of ionic bond, the covalent bond, determination of Lewis structures, the concept “resonance”, Lewis structures violating the octet confuguration by electron lack or hypervalence.
Chapter 10: "Spatial and Electronic Structure of Molecules", with as main topics the determination of molecular and electron domain using the “VSEPR model”, the concept “dipole moment”, the intermolecular forces, the electronegativity in relation to electronic structure and macroscopic properties.
Chapter 11: "Molecular Orbitals and Structures", with as main topics an introduction to the molecular orbital theory, the relationship between molecular structures, orbitals and reactivity, including the concepts of inductive and mesomeric electron releasing and withdrawing atom groups, electrophiles and nucleophiles.
Chapter 12: "Organic Chemistry: Structures and Nomenclature", with as main topics hydrocarbons, organic functions and functional groups, including their systematic nomenclature, isomers and isomerism in organic chemistry.
Chapter 13: "Organic Chemistry: Reactivity", with a mechanism focused overview of the main organic reactions, as substitution reactions on aliphatic saturated carbon atoms, electrophilic additions on double C=C bonds, elimination reactions, addition reactions on double C=O bonds, reactions with carboxylic acid derivatives, and aromatic substitution reactions.
Chapter 14: "Polymers", with as main topics the definition of the concepts “polymer” and “plastics”, ranking polymers according to structure and morphology, thermal properties, synthetic methods, chain-growth polymers, co-polymers, step-growth polymers, covalent network polymers, molmasses of polymers, including an overview of the economic relevance and practical applications of polymers, as well as a short overwiew of society relevant issues on polymers and polymer industry.
The theoretical lectures of 1st and 2nd semester give rise in 2nd semester to lab practicals (8 sessions) in which students are trained to apply theoretical knowledge and skills to experimental issues, performing a number of experiments under guidance, typically 3 to 4 hours, including practical report writing. Typical examples of practicals to be performed by students are titrations, with or without potentiometer, distillations, reaction rate determinations and organic syntheses.
Additional information and study material
With the lecturer:
Prof. Dr. Ir. Hubert RAHIER
Office 8G516
email: hrahier@vub.ac.be
phone: 02/629.32.77
AND/OR
Prof. Dr. Ir. Iris DE GRAEVE
Office 5G235
email: idgraeve@vub.ac.be
phone: 02/629.34.82
Mevrouw Carine VAEREMANS, department officer, Carine.Vaeremans@vub.ac.be
Own course syllabi, completely written and set up by the lecturer, serve as a basis to learn the course for the examinations. The course syllabi consist of three parts, part 1 in two volumes for the 1st semester, parts 2 and 3 for the 2nd semester, all written in Dutch . An additional syllabus grouping “Problem Solving” and “Practicals” assignments is used resepctively for the 6 problem solving sessions of 3 hours each, planned in 1st semester, and the 8 practicals sessions of 3 to 4 hours each planned in 2nd semester. These course syllabi are all available for sale at the course and scientific bookshop of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Competences & learning results
The main learning objective of this course is to provide 1st year students of the Bachelor of Engineering Science both a broad basic knowledge and skills on structure and transformations of matter with a sound scientific background at university level. Basic skills acquired at high school are scientifically refined, and deepened out conceptually with the needed scientific background at university level prior to addressing new matters. At the end of the course, students are expected to have gained insight into the theoretical basic concepts of chemistry, as well as to be able to solve basic problems on stoichiometry, ideal gas laws, chemical equilibria, acid - base equilibria, redox reactions and electrochemistry, chemical kinetics, and to perform simple experiments on the abovementioned topics and elementary organic synthesis in the chemistry lab. The aim hereby is that the student learns to perform accurate, precise and clean chemical experimental work, paying attention to ethics, safety and environment issues, and to acquire and process appropriately experimental chemical data. An additional important final expectation in the learning results is that each student, at the end of this course, has acquired insight into the basic principles, structure, reactivity and industrial as well as society oriented applications of polymers. This is considered as an important basic skill required for any Engineering student at the end of the 1st Bachelor year, irrespective of the further Engineering orientation she or he will choose at the end of the 2nd Bachelor year, given the high relevance of the polymer industry to our contemporary technological society. By making compulsory the use of a dedicated handbook, partially written in English, mainly for the sake of illustration, it is aimed that the students get acquainted, from the very beginning of their 1st Bachelor year, even though only very basically, with internationally structured chemistry literature.
With this bachelor chemistry concept, the international criteria defining the bachelor end skills and competences, are fulfilled for students who are successful for this course:
- prior basic knowledge acquired in high school is deepened out on a scientifically sound and research oriented basis, by letting students function on a level with which they are able to understand and employ recent developments of chemistry, thanks also to the use of the handbook coupled to the course;
- they are trained for acquiring insight and applying knowledge and skills on a professional basis, in reporting, in setting up and deepening out chemical arguments and solving chemical issues;
- in problem solving and practical lab work, the students learn to acquire and interpret data and they should be able to acquire and express judgments on ethical and society relevant aspects of chemistry (safe lab working, attention for recycling chemical waste, correct balance between team work and individual autonomous work), with focus onto the application potentials;
- coupled to the acquired skills in the course "Engineering skills", (part "Communication, reporting, presentation") ("Ingenieursvaardigheden", deel "Communiceren, rapporteren, presenteren") the students are trained to make a presentation to a public audience;
- they acquire the chemical skills required for autonomous further training and learning of other chemistry related courses (thermodynamics, structural chemistry, analytical chemistry, spectroscopy, organic chemistry …).
In this way aims and learning results of this course are completely integrated in the aims and intended end skills of the overall Bachelor in Engineering Sciences, focusing more on skills and reasoning attitudes than on pure knowledge. The student is trained for problem solving oriented thinking and studying, and last but not least, for long-life learning.
No preliminary knowledge at university level is required. A sound basic knowledge of chemistry, as acquired in the last three years of the high school, with typically 2 chemistry lecture hours per week, should be largely sufficient as prerequisite for this course, provided the student has enjoyed previously a quality full chemistry teaching at high school.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Information on examinations
The exams are the natural prolongation of the course itself and are organized in the same spirit, focusing on sound reasoning in combination with knowledge; the questions are broad in order to assess the student on his/her insight and capacity to find conceptual links. The oral exams are the object of a preparation by the student so that she/he is granted the time needed to properly structure the argumentation in the answers to the question. Focus is laid upon appropriate use of scientific vocabulary in defining and describing concepts.
1st EXAMINATION SESSION
a. Assessment test in 7th week of the 1st semester
Compulsory participation to a written assessment test with closed book.
This test aims at evaluating the acquired basic knowledge and skills from high school, refined during the first lecture weeks to university level. The learning stuff to be known for this test consists of everything dealt with till that moment.
In this way, the students are assessed for the first time on their capacity to acquire feeling for a more scientifically inspired basis of chemistry.
Weight: 10 % of the total end score Chemistry of the 1st examination session.
Students that are (legally) absent cannot redo this test but their score for the first semester will be based on the exam during the first examination session.
b. Examinations after 1st semester for the 1st examination session (weeks 18-19-20) Compulsory written examination on the learning stuff of the 1st semester:
- theory (closed book); the learning stuff is that of chapters 2 to 6, eventhough knowledge and skills related to chapter 1 are taken for granted, and can be asked upon;
- problem solving (closed book).
Weight
15 % of the total end score Chemistry of the 1st examination session for the theory of the 1st semester course part
15 % of the total end score Chemistry of the 1st examination session for problem solving on the 1st semester course part.
For students that were absent during the assessment test after week 7, the sum of theory and problem solving will count for the 10% of the assessment.
5 % of the total score on exercises in the class
These scores are definitely acquired for the total end score of the whole chemistry course for the 1st examination session, within which no second chance is granted to the student in the june exam session for this learning stuff.
In case of absence for the exam in January, the exam will in principle be organised in June.
c. Oral examination after the 2nd semester of the 1st examination session (weeks 39-40-41)
Compulsory oral examination on the theory of the 2nd semester stuff (2 questions, closed book)
Weight:
30 % of the total end score Chemistry of the 1st examination session for the theory of the 2nd semester course part.
For getting a successful end score chemistry, a partial score of at least 8/20 is required for this oral exam. If not, the global end score will be at most 7/20, even if the actual mean of the partial scores is above this threshold.
d. Practical lab exercises (2nd semester)
Students are assessed with scores reflecting
- their practical chemistry work reports (20%),
- their results of the unannounced lab assessments during the practical chemistry work period (20%),
- the assessment by the teaching staff of their general working attitude (preparation, execution, autonomy, safety, efficiency, 20% each) in the lab (20%),
- their knowledge test on the theoretical background of the lab practicals (20%),
- the results of a practical test on Organic Nomenclature (20%), from Chapter 12 of the course.
Weight:
25 % of the total end score Chemistry of the 1st examination session for the practical exercises.
SUMMARY FOR THE 1st EXAMINATION SESSION:
10 % assessment test
15 % theory part I
20 % problem solving part (including 5% exercises in class)
30 % theory part II
25 % lab practicals, including evaluation test Organic Nomenclature
Detailed regulations, determinant for getting a final global score for the Chemistry course in the 1st examination session are available in the Dutch language. Information hereon, including a translation in English, can be obtained upon email request with the lecturer.
2nd EXAMINATION SESSION
As a general principle, no unofficial, partial examination dispenses are allocated, except as mentioned hereunder for the lab practicals. Every other part with a score <10, needs to be redone in the 2nd examination session.
Oral theory examination on the complete course, (closed book).
Weight:
25 % part I
25 % part II.
Written examination on problem solving on 1st semester part (closed book)
Weight:
25 % of the total of the end score of Chemistry in the 2nd examination session.
Lab practicals
Weight:
25 % of the total of the end score of Chemistry in the 2nd examination session.
The score of the year achievements of the practical lab course is just taken over from the 1st examination session.
Getting a final score for the Chemistry course requires participation of the student and getting a score to ALL partial examinations, both in the 1st and 2nd examination periods. Illegal absence at any even single partial examination implies that no global end score can be obtained for the Chemistry course and that the mention “ABSENT” will be put on the official mark list.
No partial score will be transferred from one to a later academic year in case of failure.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Engineering: Mechanical and Electrotechnical Engineering (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Civil Engineering (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Chemistry and Materials (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Electronics and Information Technology (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Electronics and Information Technology Profile Profile Computer Science (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Startplan (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Biomedical Engineering (only offered in Dutch)