CHEM 181: Chemistry for Engineers 1A

Module Coordinator
MR A. Bissessur
Desmond Clarence Building ROOM 209 or
Room 03-046 H-Block Westville Campus
E-MAIL: bissessura@ukzn.ac.za

Aim :
To provide students with basic chemical knowledge and expertise necessary to understand the
chemical behaviour and properties of materials used by engineers

Practicals:
Introduction to the measurement of chemical properties; study of chemical behaviour of simple
substances.

Assessment:
Class mark (33 %) + 2 hour exam (67 %)

DP requirements :
Class mark of 40 % + 80 % attendance of practicals

2.Proposed lecture topics

1. Matter
2. Units, measurements and handling numbers
3. Elements
4. Compounds and reactions
5. The mole
6. Stoichiometry
7. Bonding in compounds
8. Gases and Gas Laws
9. Henry’s Law
10. Thermochemistry
11. Silicates and silicones
12. Cements

3. TEXTBOOKS
The prescribed textbook for this module is:

Brown, LeMay, Bursten,Murphy, Langford, Sagatys,

Chemistry, The Central Science: A Broad Perspective,
2nd Edition, Pearson, Australia, 2010

You are advised to obtain your prescribed textbook as soon as possible; lecturers will assume
you have this in your possession from the start of the course.

4. Lecture timetables and venues

5. Tutorials and additional support (si sessions)

 a) Small group tutorials – please check bulletin board on level 2 in DC building. Attendance is
compulsory and a register will be taken. Please note that you will write a short test during
this session which will count for a portion of your DP mark.

b) Hot-seat tutors

Tutors are available for one on one consultation and the times for the consultation will be
available on Student management system as soon as students indicate when they are
free during the day.

c) Supplemental Instruction (SI) sessions will run twice a week. These sessions are study group
sessions where concepts regarding the weeks lecture will be discussed. These sessions will
take a double period and it is important that you attend these sessions run by SI leaders for
clarification and better understanding of concepts. SI leaders will design an activity for the
session, however, you are also welcome to come with questions regarding lecture content and
problems you are experiencing with a particular concept.

d) Please note that students who obtain below 40% for the first test will be compelled to attend
SI sessions.

e) Should you have any other queries please consult the Teaching & Learning manager:

6. Laboratory practicals
CHEM 181 students are required to attend one laboratory session every second week, as
follows:

The class is split into six groups; you will be advised in the first week of lectures about your
assigned group.

Practicals commence in the second week of lectures, beginning Monday 11 February 2013, for
all three groups. Class lists giving details of bench and locker assignments will be available in
the first-year laboratory during the first week of lectures.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Students who fail to attend 80 % of laboratory practicals will have their DPs refused, and will not
be allowed to sit the final examination.

Any queries regarding laboratory allocations please see:

Mr Vinay Sarup, George Campbell Building, First Floor, First Year Laboratory.

The following items must be obtained before attending the first laboratory class of the course:
 CHEM 181 Practical Manual
 Pair of Safety Spectacles
 White Laboratory Coat
 Box of Matches/Lighter
 Washing-Up Cloth

The cost of the manuals and safety goggles will be debited to your fee account; the laboratory coat you will have to pay for
yourself.

You will NOT be allowed into the laboratory without these items.
 Take careful note of which experiments are scheduled for each forthcoming laboratory class, as
you are required to read up the details of each experiment and complete the pre-laboratory
problems before attending a laboratory session.

7. COMPOSITION OF THE COURSE MARK

The Course Mark is made up as follows:

Class Mark 33 %, Examination 67 %

The Class Mark is in turn made up as follows:

a) x Class Tests 8 % (average of 2 tests), Laboratory Practicals 25 %

IMPORTANT NOTICE

A sub-minimum of 40 % for the Class Mark is a DP requirement.

Students who fail to obtain this sub-minimum will have their DPs refused, and will NOT be
allowed to sit the final examination.

8. CLASS TEST

DATES: TEST 1: 20 March 2013 , TEST 2: 15 May 2013

There is two formal tests covering the course content. Your lecturer will inform you in due course
about the date, venue and study material for this test.
There will be no supplementary or “make up” tests. Students who miss the test without
providing a medical certificate or otherwise satisfactory explanation will be given zero.

9. DULY PERFORMED (DP) CERTIFICATES AND ATTENDANCE MATTERS

A DP certificate is granted to each student who has satisfactorily performed the class work for each
semester and is an essential requirement for entering the relevant examination. Chemistry is a
practical science and knowledge of chemical laboratory techniques is one of the objectives of all
chemistry courses. A DP certificate will not be awarded to any student who has not attended the
required minimum number (80%) of laboratory sessions irrespective of the reasons for absences, or
attained the Class Mark sub-minimum as specified above.

Students unable to attend a laboratory class or test for medical or other unavoidable reasons must
present their medical certificates or other supporting documentation to Mr Sarup in the first year
Chemistry Laboratory as soon as possible after returning to campus. Such students may attend
laboratory classes on another day, by arrangement with Mr Sarup, and if space is available.
Students who miss laboratory classes without sufficient reason will not be allowed to make them
up.

Students who are absent from a laboratory session on a condoned holiday (e.g. a religious day) will
not be penalised for missing that particular class, but should bear the DP requirements in mind, and
are encouraged to make it up, by prior arrangement.

10. LABORATORY PRACTICAL EXEMPTIONS

Laboratory exemptions may be granted to those students who are repeating a module given by this
School and who have attained a sufficiently high standard of work in previous years. Applications
for these must be submitted on the prescribed form available from the Secretary, Science @
Howard, Level 3, Desmond Clarence Building as soon as possible after Registration.
 Exemptions come into effect only for those students whose names appear on the exemption list on
the School of Chemistry notice board in the main foyer of the Chemistry Building. Students who
apply for exemption after laboratory classes have already commenced must attend until exemption
has been granted.

11. EXAMINATIONS
Rules and regulations covering examinations are set out in the Handbook of the Faculty of
Engineering, and students should familiarise themselves with these.

CHEM 181 students write a 2 HOUR examination in June.

The pre-requisite for progression into the second semester course CHEM 191 is a mark of at least
40 % in CHEM 181.

12. PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is defined as the submission or presentation of work, in any form, which is not one’s
own without acknowledgement of the source(s). It is an attempt to deceive the reader that the
work or ideas presented are your own, whereas, in fact they are the words/ideas of others.

With regard to essays, reports and dissertations, a simple rule should be used when deciding if
it is necessary to acknowledge sources. If you obtain information from an outside source, that
source must be acknowledged. Another rule to follow is that any direct (verbatim) quotation
must be placed in quotation marks and your wording should clearly indicate that the item is not
your own work and the source immediately cited. The mere inclusion of the source in a
bibliography shall not be considered sufficient acknowledgement.

This applies to all work contributing to assessment, including laboratory reports and projects.
All assessed work must be your own individual effort. Copying of laboratory reports, for
example, is plagiarism. You may share data, where appropriate, but the calculations, answers to
assignment questions and the discussion of results must be your own work.

Work referred to from Internet sources must also be acknowledged as above, with the web
address (URL) of the source included and the date it was accessed.

Wishing you an enjoyable chemistry experience.