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 necessay 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 hours of 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%.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Recognise the roles and limitations of various forms of spectroscopic analysis.
2. Apply spectroscopic data to deduce and then articulate the structure of chemical compounds.
3. Utilise spectroscopic data in order to verify the identity of compounds and to structurally characterize unknown compounds.
4. Recognise symmetry operations and their use in determining the point group of a molecule.
5. Construct qualitative molecular orbital diagrams for simple diatomic and triatomic molecules.
6. Understand, predict and interpret rotational, vibrational and electronic spectra of molecules. 

Assessment will be based on:

• Mid-semester exam (35%; LO 1-3)

• Assignments (10%; LO 1-6)

• Final exam (55%; LO 4-6)

65 hours of lectures, tutorials and dry lab/problem solving sessions and a further 65 hours of independent learning.

CHEM1101 and CHEM1201

CHEM6001

No prescribed text.