Analytical Chemistry

Instance: 2019/2020 - 2S

Cycles of Study/Courses

Teaching language

Objectives

Analytical Chemistry as a curricular unit of this Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences intends to supply the concepts and abilities that allow the understanding and explanation of the basic principles of analytical chemistry and its importance in the pharmaceutical sciences scope. In general terms, it is intended to assure that the students dominate the related essential questions with the different types of chemical equilibrium (solubility, acid-base, oxidation-reduction and complexation), its application in a view point of quantitative analysis in the areas of knowledge presented in the course. One expects the use of these knowledge in a laboratorial perspective.

Learning outcomes and competences

It is intended as learning outcomes that students acquire the following skills:

1)    interconnection capacity between knowledge and basic techniques of analytical chemistry and other fields of knowledge present in the MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences

2)    capabilities for manipulation of the concepts presented

 3)    independent and analytical reasoning

4)    ability to apply new chemical concepts in solving practical problems

 5)    ability to present their arguments and solutions in a clear and precise way

Working method

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

The programmatic content of this discipline assumes that the students dominate the subject-matters from the discipline of General and Inorganic Chemistry previously taught, according to the curricular plan of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Degree from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto.

Program

The programmatic content of the theoretical component briefly comprises the following matters:

The central role of Analytical Chemistry.

General steps of chemical analysis.

Classic analytical methods of Analytical Chemistry: gravimetry and volumetry. The theoretical and practical aspects of gravimetry by chemical precipitation are focused in detail. Regarding volumetric analysis, the general principles of this method in solution are studied as well as the theoretical principles of the titrations involving acid-base, precipitation, complex formation and redox reactions, including their analytical applications. All the themes presented are accompanied with practical examples in the scope of pharmaceutical sciences.

In the laboratory component, it is first presented some concepts of elementary statistics of results of analysis (accuracy and precision; absolute and relative error; fortuitous and systematic errors) and the calculation of the precision of indirect measurements. It understands, still, works of qualitative chemical analysis and quantitative (gravimetry and volumetry). All the material used in classes is on the e-learning platform. Appointments related to the laboratory component are given to students - the presented statistical concepts with examples, and the laboratory works - analytical procedure and theoretical explanation of the same ones.

Mandatory literature

Complementary Bibliography

Teaching methods and learning activities

The teaching and learning methods are basically:

a) Theoretical classes (2 hours per week)– classes devoted to the explanation of the subject-matters, with the help of available audio-visuals. The introduction of concepts must include the reference to practical examples and the presentation of the resolution of theoretical and practical exercises. Where necessary it resorts to the use of the table.

 b) Practical Classes (1 hour per week)– dedicated to resolving exercises involving the application of concepts, clarifying any doubts and expanding specific themes.

c) Laboratory classes (2 hours per week)– carrying out the laboratory work of qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis (volumetry and gravimetry). The work is carried out individually and in some of these tasks, the presentation of a report is compulsory. Besides the students have to do a presentation about one of the theme explored in the classes.

keywords

Evaluation Type

Assessment Components

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Eligibility for exams

Student attendance to the theoretical -practice and laboratory classes is mandatory, as established in Norms of Evaluation of FFUP. Attendance to theoretical classes is not compulsory.

Calculation formula of final grade

The evaluation of Analytical Chemistry includes a theoretical and a practical component.

Laboratory component:

Quantified assessment (0-20) of the knowledge presented in classes. Made during the laboratory classes, accompanied by running reports. Students rated below 10 are considered disapproved and must make a practical test.

Students who have not obtained approval in the years before 2016/2017, will have to repeat the laboratory component and be evaluated in the same way that students enrolled for the first time in 2018/2019. Otherwise, they must perform the laboratory exam.

Students who are exempt, by law, from attending classes (and therefore cannot be subject to continuous assessment) will be asked to perform compulsory practical proof of the final exam.

Theoretical component: The theoretical component will be subject to distributed evaluation and involves performing two frequencies (assessment tests), one at the midle of the semester (during the month of april, with a gain of 20 points, and a second at the end of the school year ( during the examination period of the regular season), with a gain of 20 points. The final grade of the theoretical component will be calculated considering 35% of the marks obtained in the 1st frequency and 65% of that obtained in the 2nd frequency classification. 

The maximum score will be 20 values ​​and for approval in the theoretical course students should get in all of these two-step evaluation, a rating of at least 8.0.

FINAL GRADE: It is the weighted average of the marks obtained in the laboratory component (whether in the distributed evaluation, whether in a practical test of the final exam), with a percentage contribution of 25%, and a theoretical component with a percentage contribution of 75%.
Students are considered approved if the weighted average has a value greater than or equal to 9,50.


The examination of the appeal period, for students who do not obtain benefit at the end of regular time, or for those who wish to make classification improvements, will have a value of 20 points, and will cover all matter taught in the course

Examinations or Special Assignments

The students who by law are excused from the presence in the lessons (e, therefore, cannot be subject to the distributed evaluation) will be called obligatorily to carry out the laboratorial and the written evaluation of the final examination.

Classification improvement

The students who intend classification improvement can as established in the “Norms of Evaluation” of the new plan of studies of 2018/19 do so by improvement of the classification gotten in the written and/or practice evaluation of the exam.

Observations

Changes arising from the Covid-19 Contingency Plan:



"Teaching Methods and Learning Activities":

Theoretical classes from summary no. 10 started to take place
at a distance, with the classes being made available in videos
 resulting either from the previous voice recording (PANOPTO resource) 
or from the synchronous sessions (COLIBRI-ZOOM resource), in accordance
 with what is indicated in each summary.

Practical classes from summary no. 5 started to take place remotely, 
with prior provision of exercises and their subsequent resolution, either 
in the pre-recorded version (PANOPTO resource) or in synchronous sessions 
(COLIBRI-ZOOM resource).

Laboratory classes from summary no. 5 started to take place at a distance. 
Videos related to the planned laboratory work were made available and
 individual and group work was proposed, discussed and presented in synchronous sessions.

“Evaluation Components and Final Calculation Formula”: Distributed evaluation with final exam

Laboratory component (CL): Quantified assessment (0 to 20) of the knowledge of this component,
 with a weight of 25% of the final grade of the UC. Evaluation components: group work, individual report, 
synchronous classes.

Theoretical component (CT): The theoretical component will be object of distributed evaluation and 
involves the realization of a work (T), with a weight of 15%, and an exam (E), with a weight of 60%, 
carried
 out at the end of the period. semester, both with a valuation of 0-20 values.

Students with a score lower than 8.0 in the final exam (E) are considered to have failed (in this case, the weighted average will not be made with the classification obtained in the work (T) nor with the laboratory evaluation).



Mandatory for weighted average: Approval in the laboratory component, and present a classification equal to or greater than 8.0 in the final exam (E) of the theoretical component (CT).



 



 FINAL GLOBAL CLASSIFICATION: It is the weighted average of the classification obtained in the laboratory component (CL), with a percentage contribution of 25%, and in the theoretical component (CT), with a percentage contribution of 75%.



 Approval in the curricular unit: Students are considered approved if the weighted average of the two components (CL + CT) has a value equal to or greater than 9.50 values.



 



The exam of the appeal period, for students who do not succeed at the end of the normal season, or for those who intend to improve their classification, will have an appreciation of 60%, and will include all the material taught in the course.



The exam takes place in person at the college premises during normal and recourse times.

The examination of students in the Autonomous Regions and Mobility Students takes place, at the request of the referred students, by means of a distance assessment (and not in person) on the working day prior to the face assessment. The evaluation is carried out using mechanisms for guaranteeing academic integrity.

Classification improvement.

At the time of appeal, it is only possible to improve the classification of the exam (E) of the theoretical component, requiring registration in academic services for the purpose