School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

 
CVEN2701: WATER AND ATMOSPHERIC
  CHEMISTRY
 
Semester 2, 2017
 

COURSE DETAILS

Units of Credit 6
Contact hours 5 hours per week

Class Tuesday 02:00 pm – 04:00 pm Central Lecture Block 05 (wks 1-9, 10-12)
Thursday 03:00 pm – 04:00 pm Central Lecture Block 04 (wks 1-9, 10-12)

Workshop Thursday 04:00 pm – 06:00 pm Mathews 301, 303, 306, 313 (wks 2-9, 10-13)

Course Coordinator Prof. T. David Waite

and Lecturer Email: d.waite@unsw.edu.au
Office: Room 114 (H22 – Vallentine Annexe)
Phone: 9385 5060

Lecturer Dr. A. Ninh Pham

Email: anninh.pham@unsw.edu.au
Office: Room 108 (H22 – Vallentine Annexe)
Phone: 9385 5102

INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE

This course will provide an introduction to water chemistry as a foundation for understanding chemical
processes in both natural and engineered systems. It will build on the basic chemical concepts taught in
CHEM1011/1031 and will develop additional concepts required to describe the chemical processes occurring in
rivers, lakes, groundwater, marine and atmospheric environments.

HANDBOOK DESCRIPTION

See link to virtual handbook: www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/2017/CVEN2701.html

OBJECTIVES

To provide students with fundamental concepts of water chemistry that may be encountered by environmental
engineers.

To provide a basis for more advanced courses in later years in water quality, water and wastewater treatment,
contaminant fate and transformation and waste management.

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TEACHING STRATEGIES

Private Study  Review lecture material and textbook

 Do set problems and assignments
 Join Moodle discussions of problems
 Reflect on class problems and assignments
 Download materials from Moodle
 Keep up with notices and find out marks via Moodle
Lectures  Find out what you must learn
 See methods that are not in the textbook
 Follow worked examples
 Hear announcements on course changes
Workshops  Be guided by Demonstrators
 Practice solving set problems
 Ask questions
Assessments  Demonstrate your knowledge and skills
 Demonstrate higher understanding and problem solving
Laboratory Work  Hands-on work, to set studies in context

EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course is designed to address the learning outcomes below and the corresponding Engineers Australia
Stage 1 Competency Standards for Professional Engineers as shown. The full list of Stage 1 Competency
Standards may be found in Appendix A.

After successfully completing this course, you should be able to:

Learning Outcome EA Stage 1 Competencies

Demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts in water and
atmospheric chemistry including:
a) chemical equilibrium and thermodynamics,
b) acid and base reactions,
1. c) alkalinity, PE1.1, PE1.2, PE1.3
d) solid dissolution and precipitation,
e) complexation reactions,
f) redox reactions and
g) reactions on solid surfaces
Predict the behaviour and/or estimate the concentrations of various
2. environmentally important chemicals in aquatic and atmospheric PE1.2, PE1.5, PE2.1, PE2.2,
systems.
Describe the various chemical processes that occur in rivers, lakes,
3. PE1.2, PE1.3, PE2.2
groundwater, marine and atmospheric environments.
Extend skills and knowledge of a specific system to explain/solve
4. PE2.1, PE2.2, PE2.4, PE3.3
complex, real world type problems

For each hour of contact it is expected that a student will put in at least 1 hour of private study.

CVEN2701– Session 2, 2017 – Course Profile - 2

ASSESSMENT

The final grade for this course will normally be based on the sum of the scores from each of the assessment
tasks. The Final Examination is worth 40% of the Final Mark and the class work is worth 60% of the Final Mark.
A mark of at least 40% in the final examination is required before the class work is included in the final mark.
Students who perform poorly in the workshops, quizzes and assignments are strongly recommended to discuss
their progress with the lecturers during the semester.
Note: The Coordinator reserves the right to adjust the final scores by scaling if agreed by the Head of School.
Details of each assessment component, the marks assigned to it and the dates of submission are set out below.

Items Marks (%) Due date Rationale and Assessment Criteria

1. Quizzes: 25
 Quiz 1* (online) (5) Week 05 Released in week 4, online, individual assessment
(22/08/2017 Material covered: weeks 1, 2 and 3
– 11.55 pm)
 Quiz 2 (in class) (10) Week 07 Open book, 45 min, in class, individual assessment
(07/09/2017) Material covered: weeks 1 to 6.
 Quiz 3 (in class) (10) Week 13 Open book, 45 min, in class, individual assessment
(26/10/2017) Material covered: weeks 7 to 12.
2. Assignments 1 17.5 Week 8 Issued in week 2, 01/08, individual assignment
(Submitted to assignment (15/09/2017 Material covered: Kinetics, logC-pH diagram,
box on Level 1, Bldg H20) – 11.55 pm) alkalinity and solid dissolution and precipitation.
3. Assignment 2 17.5 Week 13 Issued in week 8 (12/09), individual assignment
(Submitted to assignment (27/10/2017 Material covered: complexation, redox reactions and
box on Level 1, Bldg H20) – 11.55 pm) reactions on solid surface.
4. Final exam 40 Exam period Final exam is a 2-hour closed book exam which
covers material taught from week 1 to week 12.

*Quiz 1 will be uploaded on UNSW Moodle by the date mentioned above. It will be available for one week and
students can attempt the quiz in their own time within that one week period once. Quiz 1 will be based on the
concepts discussed during lectures and might have short-answer, multiple choice and/or true-false questions.
Please ensure that your computer is UNSW Moodle compatible before attempting the quizzes. Please check the
following link for system requirement for UNSW Moodle and other information on UNSW Moodle.
http://support.telt.unsw.edu.au/moodle/content/default.cfm?ss=0
Please inform the course coordinator in advance if you are not able to take the quiz in the allotted week or
regarding any computing problems.

PENALTIES

Late work will be penalised at the rate of 10% per day after the due time and date have expired.

Special consideration can be applied at:

https://student.unsw.edu.au/special-consideration

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COURSE PROGRAM

SESSION 2 2017 (24 July - 20 Nov)

Week Date Topic Assessment due

25/07 (Lect) Introduction of water chemistry: Conservation
1
27/07 (Lect only) principles and thermodynamics

01/08 (Lect)
2 Tools for solving problems in water chemistry Assignment 1 issued
03/08 (Lect/Workshop)
08/08 (Lect)
3 Kinetics
10/08 (Lect/Workshop)
15/08 (Lect) Quiz 1 released
4 pH and alkalinity : Acids and bases in natural waters
17/08 (Lect/Workshop) online

22/08 (Lect)
5 Log C-pH diagram & solution of equilibrium problems Quiz 1 due
24/08 (Lect/Workshop)
29/08 (Lect)
6 Effects of biological processes on pH and alkalinity
31/08 (Lect/Workshop)
05/09 (Lect)
7 Solid dissolution and precipitation Quiz 2 – in class
07/09 (Lect/Quiz 2)
12/09 (Lect) Assignment 2 issued
8 Inorganic complexation
14/09 (Lect/Workshop) Assignment 1 due
19/09 (Lect)
9 Organic complexation
21/09 (Lect/Workshop)

MID-SEMESTER BREAK (23 Sep - 2 Oct)

03/10 (Lect)
10 Redox chemistry part 1: Introductory concepts
05/10 (Lect/Workshop)
10/10 (Lect)
11 Redox chemistry part 2: pe – pH diagram
12/10 (Lect/Workshop)
17/10 (Lect)
12 Reactions on solid surfaces
19/10 (Lect/Workshop)
Quiz 3 – in class
13 26/10 (Quiz 3 only)
Assignment 2 due

RELEVANT RESOURCES

Prescribed text: Morel, F.M.M. and Hering, J.G. (1993) Principles and Applications of Aquatic Chemistry, Wiley
Interscience, New York

DATES TO NOTE

Refer to MyUNSW for Important Dates available at:

https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/resources/KeyDates.html

CVEN2701– Session 2, 2017 – Course Profile - 4

PLAGIARISM

Beware! An assignment that includes plagiarised material will receive a 0% Fail, and students who plagiarise
may fail the course. Students who plagiarise are also liable to disciplinary action, including exclusion from
enrolment.
Plagiarism is the use of another person’s work or ideas as if they were your own. When it is necessary or
desirable to use other people’s material you should adequately acknowledge whose words or ideas they are and
where you found them (giving the complete reference details, including page number(s)). The Learning Centre
provides further information on what constitutes Plagiarism at:
http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/plag.html

ACADEMIC ADVICE

(Formerly known as Common School Information)

For information about:
 Notes on assessments and plagiarism,
 School policy on Supplementary exams,
 Special Considerations,
 Solutions to Problems,
 Year Managers and Grievance Officer of Teaching and Learning Committee, and
 CEVSOC.
Refer to Common School Information on the School website available at:
http://www.civeng.unsw.edu.au/currentstudents/general/profiles/common_ug.html

CVEN2701– Session 2, 2017 – Course Profile - 5

Appendix A: Engineers Australia (EA) Competencies
Stage 1 Competencies for Professional Engineers

Program Intended Learning Outcomes

PE1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of underpinning fundamentals

PE1.2 Conceptual understanding of underpinning maths, analysis, statistics, computing

PE1: Knowledge
and Skill Base

PE1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge

PE1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions

PE1.5 Knowledge of engineering design practice

PE1.6 Understanding of scope, principles, norms, accountabilities of sustainable engineering

practice

PE2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex problem solving

Application Ability
PE2: Engineering

PE2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources

PE2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes

PE2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering

projects

PE3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability

and Personal Attributes

PE3.2 Effective oral and written communication (professional and lay domains)
PE3: Professional

PE3.3 Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour

PE3.4 Professional use and management of information

PE3.5 Orderly management of self, and professional conduct

PE3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership

CVEN2701– Session 2, 2017 – Course Profile - 6