| Unit name | Physics and Chemistry for Earth Scientists |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASC10006 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Mader |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
The goal of this unit is to give you a foundation in the fundamental concepts in Physics and Chemistry needed for your future study in Earth Sciences. Closely integrated in this goal is the development of applied Mathematics to give you the skills you need to solve quantitative problems.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The unit is taught via a combination of lectures and weekly practicals that allow the students to practice and deepen their knowledge and skills. For the Physics part, the cohort will be split into 2 groups: Group 1 are students who have GCSE Mathematics (or equivalent) only and Group 2 are students who have A’ level Mathematics (or equivalent). These groups will be taught separately with curricula and assessment tailored to each. If you are in Group 1, you will focus more on acquiring a foundational skills set. If you are in Group 2, you will extend the material you learnt at school to include more sophisticated quantitative methods. Both Groups will cover the knowledge and skills needed for further study in Earth Sciences. For the Chemistry part, you will be taught as a single group.
An overview of content
Physics 1 and 2:
Physics 2 additionally:
Chemistry:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
By the end of this unit, you will have been taught the Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry needed to succeed in your programme of study.
Learning Outcomes
The unit is taught via a combination of lectures and weekly practicals that allow the students to practice and deepen their knowledge and skills. Demonstrators are on hand during practicals to help students who get stuck. All practicals also have worked solutions on BB and students are strongly encouraged to work through the worked solutions independently as it is an enormously useful learning opportunity in itself.
Additionally, students are provided with a range of resources that will help them to develop their understanding and skills and assess how well they are doing:
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
There will be 3 formative (~ 1 hour) tests during the course of the unit. These will be similar in style to the summative exam.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Summative exam 3 hours, 100%. The exam will cover content from both the Physics and Chemistry elements.
When assessment does not go to plan
The University’s Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes outline the requirements for progression on and completion of degree programmes. Students who miss an exam and self-certify their absence may complete a supplementary assessment for an uncapped mark as if taken for the first time. Resit and supplementary exams are habitually taken during the reassessment period later in the summer. As far as is practicable and appropriate, resit and supplementary assessments will be in the same form as the original assessment but will always test the same intended learning outcomes as the initial missed or failed assessment. In the case of group work, failure by a whole group would result in an appropriate group task being set and reassessed for all group members. If a single student fails a group assessment or is unable to participate for an evidenced reason, an individual reassessment will be set.
There are rigorous and fair procedures in place to support students who are ill or whose studies and assessments are affected by exceptional circumstances.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EASC10006).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
