Mod:intro
See also: [Chem Lab], Breaking news, Laptop use, Intro lecture, Programs, Inorganic, Physical, Writing up
Contents
Objectives
This four week course rotates with two other laboratory-based courses during the third year of the Imperial College chemistry degree. Its aim is to enhance and relate to not just to the wet experiments in the other labs, but also to the lecture courses you have had during the first three years, using appropriate theory and quantitative evaluation applied to real problems.
Experiment Timetable
- EXP1: Inorganic, Dr. Hunt
- EXP2: Physical, Dr. Bearpark
- EXP3: Inorganic, Dr. Hunt
- EXP4: Physical, Dr. Bearpark
Specific times
- Week 1 (Monday): Laptop sign-out (12.00-1.00) from Room 237A
Before you go to collect the laptop, you must sign the Y3C Laptop issue agreement which can be found at the 3rd Year Chemistry Laboratories (2013-2014) folder in Blackboard.
- Week 2 (Friday): Laptop return (12.00-1.00) from Room 237A or B
- Week 2 (Friday): submit your wiki address on Blackboard by 5pm
Laptops are limited, and will be issued on a first come basis. If for a very good reason you are unable to collect a laptop at this assigned time please contact Dr Patel with your explanation to see if there is one available.
Locations
You can work in either of the computer labs Level 1 or Level 2 or in the library. In addition to the laptops the desk-top computers in these locations can be used to undertake the lab (they have more processing power and will be faster than the laptops)
The three tables along the north edge of the study area on level two have been prioritised at 12:00-17:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for students carrying out the computational lab. There are docking stations available if you want to work using a larger screen (22").
Expected hours in the Lab
The official lab times are 12am-5pm and Mon, Tue, Thur and Fri 12am-5pm. However, the advantage of having a dedicated laptop at your disposal is that you not restricted to these times. An important part of this course is learning how to manage your time and resources in a flexible and sensible way. It is up to you to manage your time, not to do too much and not to do too little. Ask a staff member if you are at all unsure.
You have the advantage of having a laptop computer enabling you to work on the lab at anytime, however you should manage your time so that you put in the equivalent of 4hrs per lab day.
Even though you have a laptop this does not mean that the lab demonstrators are available all day, manage your time so that if you need help you have an opportunity to get the help you need in time for it to be useful. Address your questions to the demonstrators during the lab hours they are available. If you are struggling with the suggested times allocated for each part of the experiment seek help from a demonstrator.
Demonstrator and Staff help and feedback times
Demonstrators are available from 12-1 and 2-4 Mon,Tues,Thur,Fri. This works as a drop in surgery in the Level2 computer room. If you have a question talk with a demonstrator FIRST. Demonstrators are not just there to help they can offer feedback on completed work before it is marked.
Dr Bearpark and Dr Hunt have different ways of providing support
- Please find Dr Bearpark in his office or contact him via email to arrange an appointment at a mutually convient time. Dr Bearpark
- Dr Hunt will be available 2-3 Mon, Tue, Thur and Fri in the Level 1 or 2 computer rooms.
Report submission
Submit the URL for your Wiki report from this address by the appropriate deadline. These deadlines are on the Friday of the end of the second week of each course.
If we do not receive the URL of your report (submitted via the Blackboard system, and NOT emailed to the individual members of the course team), Raj will attempt to contact you by email within one working day (Mon-Fri) of the deadline to check it has not gone missing. You should expect to get a grade on blackboard within 10 working days. If you have heard nothing and have not received a grade in blackboard, please contact Raj Sandhu immediately.
Please note an new College policy: work submitted late will receive zero marks. Any sections completed by the hand-in date will be assessed for full marks, additional material added after this will not be marked. If you are having problems, are ill or have extenuating circumstances please see Dr Patel as early as possible, extensions may be granted and will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Lab overview:
The modules on offer:
Each of the lab modules introduces new types of computational chemistry techniques and their applications. Some of these computational methods involve only a few seconds of actual computing, and are easily accomplished on a laptop computer interactively. Others may run for many hours, and are best done inbatch mode on a computing cluster. You will learn how to handle your laptop computer as "a laboratory instrument", delivering a variety of information about molecular systems.
Module 1: Bonding analyses using Ab initio and Density functional techniques.
Module 2: Reaction mechanisms and transition states.
The nature of the topic requires a different mode of presentation to the usual word-processed document. You will instead present your results in the form of a Wiki page unique to yourself. The course documentation also takes the form of a Wiki, and YOU as well as the course organisers can contribute to the instructions. If you feel you can improve on aspects of the documentation, or e.g. add further key literature references etc (very much in the spirit of the Wikipedia itself), do please go ahead and take the plunge!
- Access the course
- The link in the BlackBoard VLE folder for 3rd year labs.
- The link http://www.ch.imperial.ac.uk/ and follow the links down to the Computational Chemistry Course
- or go directly here http://www.ch.imperial.ac.uk/wiki/index.php/Mod:intro
See also:[Chem Lab] Breaking news, Laptop use, Intro lecture,Programs, Module 1, Inorganic, Physical, Writing up
