PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr J M S Skakle

Pre-requisites

Pre-requisite(s): Any year 1 CM, PX or GL course (or equivalent).

Co-requisites

None

Notes

Required for the Chemistry for the Offshore Industry and Biomedical Materials Chemistry degree programmes.

Overview

This course provides a grounding in basic materials science.

There will be six areas covered, with an emphasis on directed learning. These areas will be, for example:
Introduction to materials, Construction materials, Electronic materials, Optical Materials, Functional Polymers/Liquid Crystals, Medical Materials.

The impact of materials science on everyday life will be considered and explored throughout the course, using these general headings to investigate both the fundamentals of materials and their development into useful and functional products.

Each of these areas will cover a two week period and be introduced and facilitated by one of the course team.

In course assessments will be on topics of interest under these broad headings, often covering topical concerns, examples being materials for energy and body implant materials. Thus wider issues, including ethics & politics, are drawn into the discussion.

Structure

2 one-hour classes weekly plus 6 2-hour workshops (every second week).

Assessment

1st Attempt: Five different in-course assessments such as blog, essay, presentation, poster, debate, newsletter etc. (100%). Continuous assessment.

Resit: Opportunity to resubmit any missed assessments.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment will be given on the first assignment and during facilitation of the other in-course assessments.

Feedback

Feedback will be given as soon as possible following the assessment and always prior to the submission of the next assessment. Informal discussion with students in classes will also provide continual feedback, when required.