Chemistry has a significant and far-reaching impact on our daily lives. From its role in the natural world, our bodies and the environment, to its importance in the production of new materials and drugs, chemistry plays an integral part in our understanding of these processes and interactions.
This module is designed to stimulate your interest in chemistry and increase your knowledge and understanding of chemical principles through exploring the natural and ‘synthetic’ worlds. You will study important concepts in physical, inorganic, organic, and biological chemistry and explore how these concepts shape our understanding of the world around us.
The module is delivered online; audio, video and interactive activities are integrated throughout the text. The module is based on twelve topics, focusing on the three main themes underlying the module. Understanding the chemical processes that take place in the natural world, the focus of the first theme, is vital for the development and production of modern materials, medicine, and so on, the focus of the second theme. Key to both is an understanding of the structure of molecules and materials, and so this is explored in a third theme, related to structural determination.
Theme 1: Chemistry in the natural world
Knowledge of the role that chemistry plays in living systems is vital, both in understanding life processes themselves and in treating disease. Similarly, knowledge of how pH and pKa affect the interactivity and reactivity of chemical species present in solution is critical in our understanding of the natural environment and our impact.
Through this theme, you will explore:
Theme 2: Chemical reactivity: molecular design and synthesis
The guiding principles that govern whether, how and under what conditions substances will react with one another are of central importance in all areas of chemistry. They impact in many ways on modern life, from the production of vital everyday materials – drugs, fuels, plastics, fertilisers – to the control of pollution in our environment.
The principles derive from two of the most important cornerstones of physical chemistry: thermodynamics and chemical kinetics. A key aim of the module is to examine the practical consequences that arise as a direct result of the interplay between these two fundamental concepts.
Through this theme, you will explore:
Theme 3: Structural determination
The structure of a molecule, be it a protein or a drug, is integral to its function. Similarly, the ability to characterise the surface and study the interactions of molecules with the surface is essential to optimise the performance of solid catalysts.
Through this theme, you will explore:
Scientific skills
In addition, at appropriate points in your studies, you will undertake activities to develop your scientific skills through a mixture of onscreen practical investigations and scientific literacy activities. Use is made of online databases, those available through the library to investigate the scientific literature, and external sites such as the RCSB Protein Data Bank and associated visualisation tools/software.
The module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of:
In addition, scientific skills such as critical analysis, problem solving, scientific literacy and exploration of scientific databases will be developed.
By studying this module, you will develop your understanding of chemistry over a broad range of topics, covering inorganic, organic, physical and biological chemistry. In addition, you will develop key skills in numeracy, experimental investigation, problem solving, critical reading and interpretation of scientific literature, digital literacy, scientific communication, and modern databases.
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
The School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences offers optional laboratory schools in Milton Keynes at an additional cost. Laboratory schools are not part of this module; however, they are compulsory if you’re studying towards the BSc (Honours) Chemistry (R59). If you’re not studying towards the chemistry degree, the laboratory schools may be of interest if you wish to gain relevant hands-on laboratory experience.
Further information and instructions for booking are on the SS031 website.
You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
Additionally, the website includes:
S315 is an option module in our:
Chemistry: further concepts and applications (S315) starts once a year – in October.
It will next start in October 2025.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2027.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
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