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ChemBio 2A03/2AA3

 
ChemBio 2A03/2AA3
Bioanalytical Chemistry...aka Anal
Published by nerual
08-04-2010
Published by
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,392

Author review
Overall Rating
70%70%70%
7
Professor Rating
80%80%80%
8
Interest
60%60%60%
6
Easiness
40%40%40%
4
Average 63%
ChemBio 2A03/2AA3

In this course, you learn a bit of everything chemistry.
There's a math/stats section that teaches all the math you need to know related to analytical chem, quantitative and volumetric analysis, acids/bases, titrations with monoprotic and polyprotic acids/bases, chemical equilibrium, complexation (including EDTA titrations), electrochemistry and electrodes, electron transfer (including redox titrations), light absorption and high throughput screening, light emission/fluorescence and biomolecular interaction assays (this part goes beyond what is in the textbook) and many many kinds of chromatography. The textbook in Sept 2009 was Exploring Chemical Analysis (4th ed) by Daniel Harris, and we covered the entire textbook and then some. In my opinion, it's the huge amount of content that makes this course so difficult. Apparently it tends to be people's lowest mark, but people HAVE gotten 12s in it, so don't write it off immediately!

There are seven labs, and most of them are titrations. Seriously, you have no idea how many different kinds of titrations are possible until you take this course. In the labs, you learn good lab techniques (really...the lab coordinator scares you into doing techniques properly, until it becomes second nature), and all work is marked on both precision and accuracy, despite occasional inherent flaws in the procedure that prevent you from actually getting accurate results.

The marking scheme is very flexible for this course:
  • 2 (very long and difficult) assignments worth 5% each, but these are both optional and should be done in groups.
  • one very easy (but long) midterm worth 15%, which is also optional.
  • The labs are mandatory and worth 35%, which includes prelabs, postlabs, random lab assignments and a lab exam. You must pass the lab component to pass the course.
  • The exam will be worth anywhere from 40-65%, depending how much of the course work you did. The exam is difficult, so you should do the course work! The marks on the exam were a perfect bell curve, with marks ranging from 7% to 93% and an average of 50.0%..and the prof was happy with this.
  • If you do the coursework, but it ends up bringing down your mark (ie you're one of the rare people who did really well on the exam), then your exam will count for 65% anyways--they take your highest mark.
The prof for this course was Dr Brennan, but I think next year (Sept 2010) is the last year he's teaching it. Some people really like him, some people really don't. He definitely knows his stuff, though, and I found he explained things pretty well.

Although this course was my lowest mark for second year, I learned a LOT, especially in terms of lab skills. Seriously, orgo labs are a JOKE compared to **** labs
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Old 08-05-2010 at 04:31 AM   #2
Ace0fSpades
Senior Member
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Be prepared for one of the hardest courses you will ever take there's a reason why everyone called it ANALytical because it . However you do learn a great deal of information... maybe that's why it was hard. Labs were interesting but the post labs were a pain. Overall good course ... just wish the marks were better
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Old 05-25-2012 at 11:31 PM   #3
jon.john23
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any more views?
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Old 05-26-2012 at 09:40 AM   #4
nerual
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jon.john23 View Post
any more views?
New prof this year...
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Old 06-10-2015 at 11:25 PM   #5
rajguj
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any more reviews... ?
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