ECTS credits ECTS credits: 6
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 99 Hours of tutorials: 3 Expository Class: 24 Interactive Classroom: 24 Total: 150
Use languages Spanish, Galician, English
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Chemical Physics
Areas: Chemical Physics
Center Faculty of Chemistry
Call: Second Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
Students who have taken the subject are expected to be able to:
- Identify the main types of chemical reactions and their relevant characteristics from the kinetic point of view.
- Relate the experimental rate equation with the reaction mechanism as a description of a chemical reaction at the molecular level.
- Perform an statistical analysis of kinetic data using a spreadsheet.
- Analyse kinetic data obtained in the laboratory in terms of the theoretical models available for the study of the chemical reaction.
I. FORMAL KINETICS
Chapter 1. Empirical Chemical Kinetics
1.1. Introduction. Basic concepts in chemical kinetics
1.2. The determination of the rate law
1.3. The temperature dependence of reaction rates
1.4. Experimental Techniques
Chapter 2. The kinetics of complex reactions.
2.1. Reversible Reactions.
2.2. Parallel Reactions.
2.3. Consecutive reactions
2.4. Acounting for the rate laws. Reaction Mechanisms
2.5. Unimolecular Reactions.
2.6. Chain reactions
2.7. Polymerization kinetics
II. THEORIES OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS
Chapter 3. Gas phase reactions. Theoretical models
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Collision Theory
3.3. Transition State Theory
3.4. Thermodynamic Aspects of Transition State Theory
3.5. Introduction to molecular reaction dynamics
3.6. Molecular beams
Chapter 4. Reactions in solution
4.1. Strucure and dynamics of reactions in solution
4.2. Diffusion-controlled versus activated reactions
4.3. Transition State Theory for Reactions in Solution
4.4. Mechanisms of reactions in solution. Examples
III. CATALYSIS
Chapter 5. Homogeneous catalysis.
5.1. Catalysis, principles and basis.
5.2. Acid-Base catalysis
5.3. Enzyme catalysis
Chapter 6. Heterogeneous catalysis.
6.1. Introduction.
6.2. Adsorption.
6.3. Adsorption Isotherms
6.4. Mechanisms of heterogeneous catalysis
IV. ELECTROCHEMICAL KINETICS
Chapter 7. Electrochemical Kinetics
7.1. Introduction
7.2. The electrical double layer
7.3. The Butler-Volmer equation
THE PROGRAM INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS
Lab 1. Formal Kinetics: Kinetic study of the reaction between crystal violet and hydroxyl ions
Lab 2. Formal Kinetics: Kinetic study of the reaction of solvolysis of sulfonyl chloride in aqueous solution.
Lab 3. Determination of adsorption isotherms of dyes by UV/VIS spectroscopy.
Lab 4. Catalysis
Students will complete during lab sessions at least three of the proposed experiments
- Basic (reconmended textbook):
Química Física, P. Atkins y J. De Paula, 8ª Ed, Ed. Médica Panamericana (2008). Chapters 22, 23, 24 y 25.
- Alternative textbooks:
Química Física, T. Engel y P. Reid, Pearson Ed. (2006). Chapters 36 y 37.
Fisicoquímica, I. N. Levine, 5ª Ed. (2004) MacGraw Hill. Chapters 13, 17 y 23.
- Advanced:
Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Mechanisms, 2nd Ed. J. H. Espensosn, McGraw Hill (2002)
GENERAL SKILLS
CB1. Students must demonstrate that they have acquired the knowledge required in a specific field of study, which is initially developed on the basis of their general secondary education, and that they have both drawn on information in textbooks and on the very latest information resources to attain the level of competence required of them.
CB5. Students must develope skills for autonomous learning.
CG2. To have the ability to get and to interpret data, information and results, to reach conclusions and report on scientific and technological problems that require chemical knowledge.
CG3. The ability to apply the theoretical/practical knowledge and the analysis and abstraction capacities to raise problems and look for their solutions, both in academic and professional context.
CG4. To be able to communicate chemical knowledge, procedures, results and ideas, by means of oral presentations and written reports, to a specialized and non-specialized audience.
CG5. The ability to self-study new concepts and techniques in any scientific or technological subject and properly organize the working time and resources.
TRANSVERSAL SKILLS
CT3. Knowledge of a foreign language.
CT4. Problem solving
CT10. Critical Reasoning
CT12. Autonomous learning
CT17. Sensibility towards environmental isues
SPECIFIC SKILLS
CE4. Understand Fundamental types of chemical reactions and their main features.
CE11. Relationship between macroscopic properties and the properties of individual atoms and molecules: including macromolecules (natural and synthetic) polymers, colloids and other materials.
CE16. Ability to evaluate and read data.
CE20. Interpretation of experimental data from laboratory measurements in terms of their meaning and on theoretical basis.
Both lectures and seminars will be used along the course. 20 hours of lab teaching are also included in the program and each student will perform 2-3 kinetic experiments.
The estimated number of lectures for each of the chapters is given below. Different problem sets will be handed out to the students in advance, and some of the proposed problems will be solved during the seminars. Along the course Three online tests will be proposed to the students (30-45 min). These tests will be used to assess their understanding of the concepts explained during the lectures.
Chapter 1: 4 lectures and 2 seminars
Chapter 2: 6 lectures and 3 seminars
Chapter 3: 3 lectures and 0 seminars
Chapter 4: 2 lectures and 0 seminars
Chapter 5: 3 lectures and 3 seminars
Chapter 6: 3 lectures and 1 seminar
Chapter 7: 2 lectures and 1 seminar
In addition there are 20 hours of lab teaching. Every student will carry out 3 kinetic experiments and their results will be analyzed and discussed along the course.
Lab work from last two courses could be validated
Class attendance is compulsory and non-attendance will have a negative effect on the continuous assessment. With respect to the lab-sessions, absence should be properly justified. Accepted reasons for non-attendance will only include health problems, exams, and those stated in the university regulations. A student who misses a lab-session should contact the lecturer to re-schedule the practical. Non justified absences will result in a fail grade for the labs.
- The student's learning will be assessed at the end of the course by a final exam (60%) consisting on two parts. In the first part the student will be asked to solve numerical problems related to the course content. The second part will be a set of test or short questions intended to provide information on the knowledge acquired by the student during the course.
- Continuous assessment through the participation in lectures, seminars and activities (40%)
The final assessment will be given by following equation:
Final Assessment= max (NEFx0.60+NECx0.40, NEF)
being NEF= Final exam result and NEC = Continuous evaluation result
The passing level is 5
The final mark will never be lower than the final exam assessment.
The same conditions of attendance apply for students coursing again except for the lab work which will be valid for two courses.
Both final exam and continuous assessment will include questions related with the lab experiments developed in the lab.
Competence assessment:
Seminars: CB5, CG2, CG3, CG5, CE4, CE11, CE16, CT4, CT12, CT17
Practicals: CB1, CB5, CG2, CG3, CG4, CE16, CE20, CT3, CT10, CT12, CT17
Tutorials: CG4, CG5, CT3, CT10, CT12
Final exam: CB1, CG3, CE4, CE11, CE20, CT4
In cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the provisions of the Regulations for the evaluation of student academic performance and review of grades will apply.
Total number of 1 hour sessions: 55 (includes all presential activities).
Number of hours of lectures: 23.
Seminars: 10 hours.
Tutorials: 2 hours.
Lab hours: 20.
Expected personal dedication of students: 83 hours.
Individual or group study: 46 hours.
Resolution of exercises, problems or projects: 20 hours.
Various activities: 8 hours.
Preparation of lab experiments and writing of final report or oral presentation: 9 hours.
- Basic knowledge of integral and differential calculus is required.
- We highly recommend the student to have passed Química Física I and II before taking this course.
- It is very important to attend the lectures and to keep up to date in studying the course material.
- It is highly recommended to visit the site of this subject in USC virtual campus. It includes information, problems and solutions, guides for lab sessions, presentations and activities.
- The students should work on the proposed problems before the seminars to be able to participate in the discussions.
- The students should use the tutorials to ask questions and solve the difficulties found when studying the course contents.
- Basic knowledge of any statistical analysis software (Excel, OpenOffice calc, R, Python, ...) is highly recommended.
For virtual teaching, Moodle platform will be used for the final test and continuous assessment
In cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the provisions of the Regulations for the evaluation of student academic performance and review of grades will apply.
Luis Garcia Rio
- Department
- Chemical Physics
- Area
- Chemical Physics
- Phone
- 881815712
- luis.garcia [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Professor
Jose Ramon Leis Fidalgo
Coordinador/a- Department
- Chemical Physics
- Area
- Chemical Physics
- Phone
- 881814222
- joseramon.leis [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Professor
| Tuesday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00-10:00 | Grupo /CLE_02 | Spanish | Inorganic Chemistry Classroom (1st floor) |
| 10:00-11:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Galician | Organic Chemistry Classroom (1st floor) |
| Wednesday | |||
| 13:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_02 | Spanish | INORGANIC CHEMISTRY PRACTICE LABORATORY |
| Thursday | |||
| 09:00-10:00 | Grupo /CLE_02 | Spanish | Inorganic Chemistry Classroom (1st floor) |
| 10:00-11:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Galician | Organic Chemistry Classroom (1st floor) |
| 05.22.2025 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Biology Classroom (3rd floor) |
| 05.22.2025 16:00-20:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Mathematics Classroom (3rd floor) |
| 06.27.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Inorganic Chemistry Classroom (1st floor) |
| 06.27.2025 10:00-14:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Organic Chemistry Classroom (1st floor) |