Study programme competencies |
Code
|
Study programme competences / results
|
A1 |
Ability to use chemistry terminology, nomenclature, conventions and units |
A3 |
Knowledge of characteristics of the different states of matter and theories used to describe them |
A6 |
Knowledge of chemical elements and their compounds, synthesis, structure, properties and reactivity |
A9 |
Knowledge of structural characteristics of chemical and stereochemical compounds, and basic methods of structural analysis and research |
A12 |
Ability to relate macroscopic properties of matter to its microscopic structure |
A15 |
Ability to recognise and analyse new problems and develop solution strategies |
A16 |
Ability to source, assess and apply technical bibliographical information and data relating to chemistry |
A20 |
Ability to interpret data resulting from laboratory observation and measurement |
A23 |
Critical standards of excellence in experimental technique and analysis |
A24 |
Ability to explain chemical processes and phenomena clearly and simply |
A25 |
Ability to recognise and analyse link between chemistry and other disciplines, and presence of chemical processes in everyday life |
A27 |
Ability to teach chemistry and related subjects at different academic levels |
B1 |
Learning to learn |
B3 |
Application of logical, critical, creative thinking |
B4 |
Working independently on own initiative |
B5 |
Teamwork and collaboration |
B6 |
Ethical, responsible, civic-minded professionalism |
B7 |
Effective workplace communication |
C1 |
Ability to express oneself accurately in the official languages of Galicia (oral and in written) |
C2 |
Oral and written proficiency in a foreign language |
C3 |
Ability to use basic information and communications technology (ICT) tools for professional purposes and learning throughout life |
C6 |
Ability to assess critically the knowledge, technology and information available for problem solving |
C7 |
Acceptance as a professional and as a citizen of importance of lifelong learning |
Learning aims |
Learning outcomes |
Study programme competences / results |
The study of minerals, as natural inorganic chemical compounds, and mineral formation processes, provides knowledge on the reactivity of chemical elements that result in natural compounds |
A1 A3 A6 A12
|
B1 B3
|
C1 C2
|
Laboratory work includes the analysis of crystal forms and the identification of common minerals through a critical analysis of its symmetry, the development and training of spatial perception and the students’ abstraction capabilities. |
A1 A12 A15 A16 A23 A25 A27
|
B1 B4 B5 B7
|
C6
|
The student will face practical and theoretical aspects of minerals and crystalline matter, and the relationship between atomic arrangement and macroscopic properties |
A9 A12 A16 A20 A25
|
|
C1 C2
|
The internal structure of each mineral class, crystal system and the most representative unit cells are analyzed |
A1 A3 A6 A16
|
B3 B7
|
C1 C2 C3
|
The student will be able to relate mineral properties (density, cleavage, hardness, piezoelectricity) and mineral chemical composition, bonds and internal structure |
A6 A12
|
B1
|
C6 C7
|
Small group assignments are focused on solving problems related, in general, to practical aspects of mineralogy. The student should be able to present it in a synthetic manner, and to establish the interactions between the problem and other disciplines |
A15 A16 A20 A24
|
B1 B5 B6 B7
|
C1 C2 C7
|
The student will learn to recognize crystalline matter, to analyze its structure, and to describe its internal symmetry |
A1 A3 A6
|
B1 B3 B4
|
C1 C2
|
The student will become familiar with the international standard terminology both in crystallography and mineralogy studies |
A1 A3 A16
|
B1 B4 B7
|
C1 C2
|
Contents |
Topic |
Sub-topic |
Crystallography and symmetry of crystalline matter |
1. Introduction to crystallography and mineralogy. Definition of crystal and mineral. Main properties of crystalline matter. Fundamentals of crystal chemistry: coordination.
2. Crystal systems: Orthorhombic, tetragonal, hexagonal, monoclinic, triclinic and isometric.
3. Point symmetry: symmetry elements, symmetry class.
4. Morphology of crystal forms: crystallographic axis, axis relations, faces, Miller indices.
5. Crystallographic projections (spheric and stereographic).
6. Planar symmetry: 2-dimensional order and planar lattices. Planar symmetry and groups.
7. Space symmetry: 3-dimensional order. Bravais lattices. Space symmetry (glide planes and screw axes). Space groups. Relations between point groups and space groups.
8. Molecular symmetry and Schoenflies notation.
|
Geological processes, mineral formation, and types of rocks |
9. Formation of chemical elements.
10. Formation of minerals.
11. Types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.
12. The most aboundant minerals in Earth crust: silicates.
|
Chemical and physical properties of crystalline matter |
13. Physical properties of minerals: cleavage and fracture, hardness, piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity, magnetic properties.
14. Optical properties: X-ray diffraction, color, luster and streak, refraction, luminescence and phosphorescence). |
Planning |
Methodologies / tests |
Competencies / Results |
Teaching hours (in-person & virtual) |
Student’s personal work hours |
Total hours |
Guest lecture / keynote speech |
A1 A3 A6 A9 A12 A20 A25 B1 B3 B6 C1 C2 C7 |
26 |
60 |
86 |
Laboratory practice |
A12 A15 A16 A23 A27 B1 B3 B4 B5 B7 C1 C2 C6 |
15 |
22.5 |
37.5 |
Problem solving |
A15 A20 A23 A24 B7 C1 C2 C3 C7 |
9 |
13.5 |
22.5 |
Mixed objective/subjective test |
A1 A3 A6 A9 A12 A15 A16 A20 A23 A25 B1 B3 B7 C1 C2 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
Introductory activities |
B1 B3 C7 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Personalized attention |
|
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
(*)The information in the planning table is for guidance only and does not take into account the heterogeneity of the students. |
Methodologies |
Methodologies |
Description |
Guest lecture / keynote speech |
50-min sessions that will cover the theoretical aspects of the course using audiovisual contents |
Laboratory practice |
Hands-on activities where the students will learn to identify crystal groups, symmetry operations, and point groups based on model structures. These activities will include also the recognition of the most representative minerals and rocks. |
Problem solving |
These sessions will be focused on the individual work of students solving problems related to crystal lattices, structure, origin and properties of minerals and rocks, and the identification of combinations of symmetry elements in point groups. |
Mixed objective/subjective test |
A written test that will be conducted in order to verify the knowledge and competences that the student developed during the course. |
Introductory activities |
An introductory session during the first day of the course, where the methodology, contents, assessment criteria and time schedule of the different activities will be discussed. |
Personalized attention |
Methodologies
|
Problem solving |
|
Description |
Personalized attention will be provided through individual meetings between the professor and the students, in dates previously selected.
Moreover, telematic tools, including e-mail, and Moodle and Microsoft Teams platforms, will be used to solve questions and doubts related to the course.
Special attention will be provided to those students that can experience more difficulties during the learning process and to part-time students. |
|
Assessment |
Methodologies
|
Competencies / Results |
Description
|
Qualification
|
Mixed objective/subjective test |
A1 A3 A6 A9 A12 A15 A16 A20 A23 A25 B1 B3 B7 C1 C2 |
A test designed to assess the theoretical background of the adquired during the course. The minimum grade to pass the test will be 5 points out of 10 |
60 |
Problem solving |
A15 A20 A23 A24 B7 C1 C2 C3 C7 |
The assessment will consist on a booklet with problems that the student needs to solve |
10 |
Laboratory practice |
A12 A15 A16 A23 A27 B1 B3 B4 B5 B7 C1 C2 C6 |
The assessment will include questions to be aswered during the laboratory work and a test about crystalline structures |
30 |
|
Assessment comments |
The course will be divided in two halves: one focusing on Crystallography, and one focusing on Mineralogy. Half of the abovementioned percentages of the different activities will correspond to each of this halves.
The requisite to pass each of the activities included in the assessment is to obtain a minimum grade of 5 out of 10 points in each of those activities for each half of the course. Otherwise, the student will not pass the course. In those cases when the average of all grades of the different activities is higher than 5, but the student did not obtain a minimum of 5 in all the activities, the grade that will be assigned in the official records will be 4.
Once all the activities have been passed, the final grade of the course will be the sum of the different grades obtained in the tests and activities. The mixed test will yield 50% of the final grade. Laboratory work will account for 30% of the final grade, and problem solving will result in the other 20% of the final grade. Nevertheless, it will be strictly necessary to obtain 5 points out of 10 in each of the activities: the mixed test, the laboratory work, and the problem-solving activities. The attendance to lectures, laboratory work, and the completion of exercises are compulsory in order to be evaluated. Unjustified absence to one of the laboratory sessions or one small group activity will imply the discualification from the course.
The student will be assessed as NOT PRESENTED only if he/she did not participate in any of those activities whose contribution to the final grade is higher than 10%.
The tests of May-June (first opportunity) and July (second opportunity) will be evaluated similarly in terms of percentages and requirements to pass the course. The qualification obtained in the laboratory work and group activities will be preserved until the second opportunity, while the mixed test qualification in the second opportunity will replace the one obtained in the first one. Honors will be given only to students whose evaluation is conducted during the course and pass the tests in any of the two opportunities, until the maximum number of Honors dictated by the institution regulations is reached. Part-time students are not obligated to attend to lectures and small-group activities, although they must attend to laboratory work. The percentage of the final grade corresponding to small-group activities will be replaced by the corresponding increase in the percentage of the mixed objective/subjective test, both in the first and second opportunities. In the extraordinary call of December, the evaluation criteria of the teaching guide for the 2020-21 academic year will be applied.
|
Sources of information |
Basic
|
Borchardt-Ott, W. (2012). Crystallography: An Introduction. Springer
Phillips, F.C. (1972). Introduccion a la Cristalografía. Paraninfo
Gay P. (1977). Introduccion al estado cristalino. EUNIBAR
KLEIN, C. y HURLBUT, C.S. Jr (1996). Manual de mineralogía basado en la obra de J. Dana. Reverté |
Web resources: http://webmineral.com http://www.xtal.iqfr.csic.es/Cristalografia/index-en.html
http://www.iucr.org/
|
Complementary
|
Amorós, J.L. (1990 ). El cristal. Morfología, estructura y propiedades físicas. Atlas
Galán, E. y Mirete, S. (1979). Introducción a los minerales de España. IGME |
Web resources: http://www.nature.com/news/specials/crystallography-1.14540
Tindle, A. 2010. Andy Tindle’s Pages. The Open University (checked on July, 2017). http://www.open.ac.uk/earth-research/tindle/
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Recommendations |
Subjects that it is recommended to have taken before |
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Subjects that are recommended to be taken simultaneously |
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Subjects that continue the syllabus |
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