CM3242 - INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS II

Course Overview: ​

Part 1: Electrochemistry (Dr Linda) - Electrochemistry fundamentals - Potentiometry - Coulometry - Voltammetry  

Part 2: - Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), solid phase extraction (SPE) - Introduction to chromatographic separation - Gas chromatography (GC) - High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) - Other liquid chromatography - Electrophoretic separation - Thermal methods 

Overall Difficulty: Average

Difficulty of Assessment:

Part 1 (Post Lecture Quiz, graded on participation): Very Easy

Part 1 (Electrochemistry group project and viva): Difficult

Part 2 (CA1): Difficult

Part 2 (CA2): Easy

Finals: Average

Pace of Module: Just Nice

Enjoyability: 5/5

Usefulness: 5/5

Workload of Module (Average Number of hours spent per week):

To learn the content: 6 hours

To complete assignments: 4 hours

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How did you find the contents (how it was delivered) and the assessments of the module?

Part 1: Electrochemistry, taught by Dr Linda Sellou, before recess week Pre-recorded electrochemistry lectures, 1 per week. F2F lectures where Dr Linda answers the questions we posed in the post-lecture quizzes, 1 per week. Post-lecture quizzes were graded on participation. 1 hands-on tutorial to reinforce lecture content and prepare us for the group project. The electrochemistry group project was very time-consuming and frustrating. The deliverables were a pro forma, data sheet, video and viva. During tutorials, Dr Linda will get us to group ourselves and each group will write our answers on the board. She will walk around to answer any questions we have. There was no midterm for the electrochemistry part. Part 2: Extractions & Separations, by A/P Chuah Gaik Khuan, after recess week Lectures were f2f, 2x a week, recorded by the LT. Tutorials were manageable. CA1 was very difficult - the questions required critical thinking beyond what was in the lectures, textbook, and tutorials, and the question styles were also very different. There was a large standard deviation among the class. CA2 was much easier and as a result it was hard to beat the bell curve. The final exam tested everything. 

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How was your experience with the module?

A very useful module if you are interested in analytical chemistry. It would be a good choice if you are interested in learning more in depth about the instruments touched on in CM2192. I feel much more prepared to do FYP/FYI after taking this module.