GV1A3NU: Chemistry of the Earth & Environment

Module code: GV1A3NU

Module provider: Geography and Environmental Science; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor Tom Sizmur, email: t.sizmur@reading.ac.uk

NUIST module lead: Anbu Johnson, email: anbu.johnson@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module provides a broad understanding of applied environmental chemistry. Students will gain fundamental knowledge of the underlying chemical principles in the terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric sciences that will provide a strong background for further learning in environmental science and engineering. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Explain fundamental chemical concepts, classify compounds, write equilibrium equations for chemical reactions and perform simple experiments and data analysis to demonstrate chemical principles
2. Describe the structures of rock-forming silicate minerals, weathering processes and basic soil chemistry
3. Explain the significance of water chemistry and associated chemical reactions
4. Explain the structure of the atmosphere, describe biogeochemical cycles and discuss terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric pollution cases

Module content

Lectures include: 

• Atoms and Elements 
• States of Matter, Units of Measurement 
• Chemical Bonding 
• Chemical Structures 
• Chemical Reactions and Equilibria 
• Formation of the Earth, Structures of Silicate Minerals 
• Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks 
• Weathering, Chemistry of Soil 
• Properties of Water, Acids, Bases, and the pH scale 
• Ions in Solution, Redox Chemistry 
• Colloids and Suspended Particles, Water Pollution 
• Structure of the Atmosphere, Evolution and Composition of the Atmosphere 
• Biogeochemical cycles, Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect 
• Ozone Layer, Air Pollution 

Laboratory training and experiments include: 

• Introduction to the environmental chemistry laboratory 
• Preparing solutions and measuring their properties 
• Measuring the energy of reactions 
• Predicting solubility 
• Measuring alkalinity, acidity and conductivity 
• Box models, Stiff & Piper diagrams 
• Chemistry of natural waters 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Classroom lectures will describe and explain the concepts and key processes, whilst the laboratory classes and workshops will provide the practical training and demonstration-led supervision.  

Study hours

At least 96 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

During the module, the students are given quizzes comprising short and multiple-choice questions. These are used to analyse and feed-forward topic by topic, and assist in the preparation of summative assessments. 

Reassessment

Additional costs