This course is designed to develop an understanding of spectroscopy and its application in the elucidation of the structures of chemical compounds. This will include aspects of infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy , mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography. The course also provides a higher level description of the fundamentals of chemical spectroscopy and molecular symmetry, structure and bonding. It develops the ideas necessary to understand spectroscopy from a quantum mechanical perspective. It gives an introduction to molecular orbital theory and the use of symmetry in understanding molecular properties, as applied to simple chemical systems.
Honours pathway option (HPO):
Entry to this option is subject to the approval of the course convener. Students who take this option will undertake 6-8 lectures at a more advanced level in place of 6-8 lectures/tutorials/lab. It is expected that all students in the PhB (Hons) or direct entry Honours degree programs enrolled in this course will complete the HPO.
Proposed Assessment Honours Pathway Option: The standard course will count 90% towards the final grade and the HPO 10%.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Recognise the roles and limitations of various forms of spectroscopic analysis.
- Apply spectroscopic data to deduce and then articulate the structure of chemical compounds.
- Utilise spectroscopic data in order to verify the identity of compounds and to structurally characterize unknown compounds.
- Recognise symmetry operations and their use in determining the point group of a molecule.
- Construct qualitative molecular orbital diagrams for simple diatomic and triatomic molecules.
- Understand, predict and interpret rotational, vibrational and electronic spectra of molecules.
Indicative Assessment
Assessment will be based on:
• Mid-semester exam (35%; LO 1-3)
• Assignments (10%; LO 1-6)
• Final exam (55%; LO 4-6)
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
65 hours of lectures, tutorials and dry lab/problem solving sessions and a further 65 hours of independent learning.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Organic Structures from Spectra. L D Field. S Sternhell and J R Kalman.
5th edn (John Wiley and Sons. 2013)
Majors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4050 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $5760 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Summer Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1331 | 31 Jan 2020 | 07 Feb 2020 | 07 Feb 2020 | 06 Mar 2020 | In Person | View |
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3648 | 24 Feb 2020 | 02 Mar 2020 | 08 May 2020 | 05 Jun 2020 | In Person | View |