Undergraduate Course: Macromolecular Physics (PHYS11014)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Physics and Astronomy |
College |
College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 11 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Credits |
10 |
| Home subject area |
Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy) |
Other subject area |
None |
| Course website |
None
|
Taught in Gaelic? |
No |
| Course description |
Macromolecular Physics, or 'Soft Condensed Matter' is a rapidly growing area of physics in which the School has a large research effort. Soft matter describes materials in states of matter that are neither simple liquids or crystalline solids, and covers many materials familiar to everyday life. The course will emphasise the basic physics of colloidal systems (microscopic particles suspended in a liquid), of polymers (large flexible 'macromolecules') and of self-assembling systems such as surfactants. In many cases surprisingly simple models provide accurate descriptions of seemingly complex phenomena; for example, a simple 'random walk' describes both the Brownian motion of colloids and the shapes of polymer molecules. During the course examples will be drawn from biological systems and materials where possible. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | 15:00 - 15:50 | | | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | | | 15:00 - 15:50 |
| First Class |
Week 1, Tuesday, 15:00 - 15:50, Zone: King's Buildings. JCMB |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours:Minutes |
Stationery Requirements |
Comments |
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | 12 sides | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course it is intended that a student will be able to:
1)demonstrate an understanding of phase behaviour and phase transitions in soft matter
2)explain Brownian motion in the framework of the Einstein equation
3)discuss the behaviour of interacting colloidal particles
4)discuss the properties of polymers and derive the main models to describe their behaviour
5)demonstrate an understanding of self-assembly
6)demonstrate a grasp of the order of magnitude of the central quantities and develop confidence with "intuitive" estimates as well as calculations based on concepts presented in this course |
Assessment Information
Coursework 50% (30% Written assignment, 20% Oral assignment)
Degree Examination 50% |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords |
Macro |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Dr Rosalind Allen
Tel: (0131 6)51 7197
Email: rosalind.allen@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Miss Paula Wilkie
Tel: (0131) 668 8403
Email: paw@roe.ac.uk |
|
copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh -
31 January 2011 8:14 am
|
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