Book 7 - and its more organic chemistry. This time is starts by looking at addition reactions. That is part 1 of this book, and doesn't have anything fantastically earth shattering as we've been looking at similar sort of mechanisms for a while
Part 2 goes on to look at aromatics, benzene rings and stuff like that. In particular Freidel-Craft reactions which show you ways of sticking stuff onto these rings. Its all a bit complex as there are all sorts of ways of adding stuff in depending on where you want it to add up, but by the end you can sort of see how some of the ideas of synthesis come about.
Then it is part 3, which is solely about synthesis, and ways of getting from a starting compound to where you want to end up. Its one of those topics that I can follow along, but would be completely lost if asked how you go about synthesising something new.
Finally the book ends up with a case study looking at petrochemicals and what sort of separation and other techniques are useful there.
Friday, 6 February 2009
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
S205: TMA-2
The second bit of coursework looms - and its name is TMA-2.
Four questions to tackle, based on books 4 and 5.
Question 1 is all about thermodynamics. You have to calculate a number of entropy, enthalpy and other things about substances. You also have to draw a diagram of a Born-Haber lattice energy diagram and work out lattice energy for GeI4 a substance.
Question 2 concerns kinetics. You have to come up with an general reaction rate equation and then it starts to drip in information that eventually allows you to solve it bit by bit.
You also need to use the computer program provided (kinetics toolkit) to plot a graph of the reaction rate.
Question 3 is about SN1 and SN2 reactions. You are presented with some reactions and told what they might produce, and from this you have to deduce if it is an SN1 or 2 type reaction. You then have to draw the reaction diagrams with curly arrows showing where the electrons are moving around. Then it goes on to get you to consider the enantiomers produced and which might be dominant.
Question 4 is similar to question 3, but with different molecules, and we are looking at elimination reactions rather than substitutions.
I managed to get completely wrong on the last one and follow it to its logical conclusion but starting from a false premise.
Four questions to tackle, based on books 4 and 5.
Question 1 is all about thermodynamics. You have to calculate a number of entropy, enthalpy and other things about substances. You also have to draw a diagram of a Born-Haber lattice energy diagram and work out lattice energy for GeI4 a substance.
Question 2 concerns kinetics. You have to come up with an general reaction rate equation and then it starts to drip in information that eventually allows you to solve it bit by bit.
You also need to use the computer program provided (kinetics toolkit) to plot a graph of the reaction rate.
Question 3 is about SN1 and SN2 reactions. You are presented with some reactions and told what they might produce, and from this you have to deduce if it is an SN1 or 2 type reaction. You then have to draw the reaction diagrams with curly arrows showing where the electrons are moving around. Then it goes on to get you to consider the enantiomers produced and which might be dominant.
Question 4 is similar to question 3, but with different molecules, and we are looking at elimination reactions rather than substitutions.
I managed to get completely wrong on the last one and follow it to its logical conclusion but starting from a false premise.
Thursday, 8 January 2009
S205: Book 6 - Molecular modelling and bonding
This book is a book in itself, in that for once it isn't split into sections and parts, but does basically what it says on the cover.
It looks at the theory of electron clouds and how bonds form between atoms. It goes into all the detail about orbitals and hybridisation. It looks at what happens to bonds between atoms of the same type, and between different types. It also has a quick look at what is happening in semi-conductors, which is a little bit of a detour, although there is a relationship I suppose.
The part I don't really follow is the whole bit about symmetry. I can see some of the symmetries, others are a little harder to spot. I'm not too sure why they are important though, and to what extent the rather complicated rules for classifying the different symmetries are useful.
Finally there is a case study that looks at drug design and how knowledge of the bonding sites can allow enzymes and drugs to be designed.
Chemistry seems increasingly to be a collection of complex categorisation rules and quite a bit of maths. The maths I can cope with, but there seems a lot to remember otherwise. Oh well, judging by the book count, the course is over half way through now!
It looks at the theory of electron clouds and how bonds form between atoms. It goes into all the detail about orbitals and hybridisation. It looks at what happens to bonds between atoms of the same type, and between different types. It also has a quick look at what is happening in semi-conductors, which is a little bit of a detour, although there is a relationship I suppose.
The part I don't really follow is the whole bit about symmetry. I can see some of the symmetries, others are a little harder to spot. I'm not too sure why they are important though, and to what extent the rather complicated rules for classifying the different symmetries are useful.
Finally there is a case study that looks at drug design and how knowledge of the bonding sites can allow enzymes and drugs to be designed.
Chemistry seems increasingly to be a collection of complex categorisation rules and quite a bit of maths. The maths I can cope with, but there seems a lot to remember otherwise. Oh well, judging by the book count, the course is over half way through now!
Monday, 22 December 2008
S205: Book 5 - Chemical kinetics and mechanism
Book 5 is all about reactions and how they work. Yet again its a split book.
Part 1 is about rates and involves a lot of graph plotting and analysis. We get to use some graph plotting software which makes finding gradients to curves nice and easy, but you have to plot quite a few graphs of varying stuff.
Part 2 looks at substitution reactions, and we get to look at nucleophhilic reactions and how they work. This is quite interesting as it shows right at the molecular level some of what is going on when two things react, and how electrons move around the molecule. Some of them work in single steps, and some in more complex steps, and often you can work out whats going on by looking at rates and products.
Part 3 then looks at elimination reactions, which have some similarities with the substitution ones.
Finally there is a cased study on zeolites and what they can do for you and makes for interesting reading.
Part 1 is about rates and involves a lot of graph plotting and analysis. We get to use some graph plotting software which makes finding gradients to curves nice and easy, but you have to plot quite a few graphs of varying stuff.
Part 2 looks at substitution reactions, and we get to look at nucleophhilic reactions and how they work. This is quite interesting as it shows right at the molecular level some of what is going on when two things react, and how electrons move around the molecule. Some of them work in single steps, and some in more complex steps, and often you can work out whats going on by looking at rates and products.
Part 3 then looks at elimination reactions, which have some similarities with the substitution ones.
Finally there is a cased study on zeolites and what they can do for you and makes for interesting reading.
S283: Planetary science and the search for life starting-
In 2009 I have a few things going on, so decided not to complete the 3rd level courses I was planning. Instead I decide to go for the S283 course which will complete me a certificate in astronomy, which would be good.
S283 is called Planetary science and the search for life, and seems like a fun course, although its alleged to have a certain amount of geology in it, my least favourite of the hard sciences. Anyway, I signed up and the books arrived in short order! Very similar sized books to the S282 course.
What you get is:
Book 1 - An Introduction to the solar system
Book 2 - An Introduction to astrobiology
A course handbook
A study calendar
A guide to submitting electronic assignments
An applications CD.
A DVD specific to the course
The books are very similar in layout to the S282 - lots of pictures and quite readable, and I can't help starting on them despite the ongoing chemistry assignments!
S283 is called Planetary science and the search for life, and seems like a fun course, although its alleged to have a certain amount of geology in it, my least favourite of the hard sciences. Anyway, I signed up and the books arrived in short order! Very similar sized books to the S282 course.
What you get is:
Book 1 - An Introduction to the solar system
Book 2 - An Introduction to astrobiology
A course handbook
A study calendar
A guide to submitting electronic assignments
An applications CD.
A DVD specific to the course
The books are very similar in layout to the S282 - lots of pictures and quite readable, and I can't help starting on them despite the ongoing chemistry assignments!
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
S205: TMA-1
Time to tackle the first TMA in this course, of which there are a number.
There are 4 questions in this TMA, each at 25%, so nice and simple.
Question 1 has a-d sub parts and is about identifying a couple of mystery elements. You are given some details about them, such as the electron shell configuration and you have to identify them. Then draw lewis diagrams of their bonding with F and Cl, including some ionised variants.
Following that, you have to use VSEPR theory to say what sort of shape the molecule would appear as in 3 dimensions. Then finally, draw the structure of the 3-d molecule using flying wedges.
Question 2 is about crystals and has parts a-g. You are given a molecular picture of pyrite, and have to measure various properties of the unit cell. This I find rather hard to pin down the unit cell, but eventually I come up with something. You then have to measure angles and interatomic distances, comment on the coordination number of the atoms, count the number of each atom in a unit cell (more tricky than it sounds as most of the atoms are shared between multiple cells). Finally, given the atomic mass of the atoms, the distances and the atom counts you are in a position to work out the density of the substance.
Question 3 - organic nomenclature - oh my!!! Two parts, firstly name 4 molecules they have drawn for you. Tricky - particularly those with rings and chains, which do you start with??
Then part two - the opposite, they give you some names, and ask you to draw them. Some of these are chiral so flying wedges are important.
Question 4 - you are given a two chiral center molecule, and have to label each chiral carbon with the appropriate R/S tag. Then give it a systematic name with thje appropriate chiral bits.
Next you have to draw an entaniomer of this molecule, and then draw a diastereomers of it.
For the last two parts you are asked to consider the optical activity of the system in various mixtures of the various molecules given and drawn.
Well done, and posted now!
There are 4 questions in this TMA, each at 25%, so nice and simple.
Question 1 has a-d sub parts and is about identifying a couple of mystery elements. You are given some details about them, such as the electron shell configuration and you have to identify them. Then draw lewis diagrams of their bonding with F and Cl, including some ionised variants.
Following that, you have to use VSEPR theory to say what sort of shape the molecule would appear as in 3 dimensions. Then finally, draw the structure of the 3-d molecule using flying wedges.
Question 2 is about crystals and has parts a-g. You are given a molecular picture of pyrite, and have to measure various properties of the unit cell. This I find rather hard to pin down the unit cell, but eventually I come up with something. You then have to measure angles and interatomic distances, comment on the coordination number of the atoms, count the number of each atom in a unit cell (more tricky than it sounds as most of the atoms are shared between multiple cells). Finally, given the atomic mass of the atoms, the distances and the atom counts you are in a position to work out the density of the substance.
Question 3 - organic nomenclature - oh my!!! Two parts, firstly name 4 molecules they have drawn for you. Tricky - particularly those with rings and chains, which do you start with??
Then part two - the opposite, they give you some names, and ask you to draw them. Some of these are chiral so flying wedges are important.
Question 4 - you are given a two chiral center molecule, and have to label each chiral carbon with the appropriate R/S tag. Then give it a systematic name with thje appropriate chiral bits.
Next you have to draw an entaniomer of this molecule, and then draw a diastereomers of it.
For the last two parts you are asked to consider the optical activity of the system in various mixtures of the various molecules given and drawn.
Well done, and posted now!
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