CME1021 : Thermodynamics
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Jonathan McDonough
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
Thermodynamics is the science of energy, entropy, heat, and work, and underpins the concepts used in a wide range of chemical engineering subjects like reaction engineering, transfer processes, and separation processes. The aims of this module are:
• To introduce and develop the fundamental principles of thermodynamics
• To apply these fundamental principles to solve a range of introductory processes and systems commonly encountered by chemical engineers
Outline Of Syllabus
The course will introduce a range of fundamental thermodynamic concepts and their relationships, such as Properties of Matter, the Fundamental Laws, Equations of State, Energy Conservation, Enthalpy, Entropy, Gibbs Energy, and Equilibrium.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | Revision, engagement with formative online quiz and completion of end of module assessment |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 22 | 1:00 | 22:00 | Introduction session and thermodynamics lectures |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Thermodynamics tutorial & problem solving classes |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 57:00 | 57:00 | Preparation for lectures and tutorial classes, reading and research |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will develop the required knowledge base, and tutorial classes will enhance the understanding of this knowledge base whilst developing problem solving skills. These will be supplemented with online content where appropriate in diverse formats such as bonus lecture materials, text articles, links to videos, and discussion boards. Students will be expected to engage in independent study to enhance the subject matter delivered in the lectures and tutorial classes.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 90 | 1 | A | 100 | Closed book Written Exam |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer assessment | 1 | M | Online quiz (NUMBAS) to be released around December (result to be used by student to aid their revision) |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
CME1021 will be assessed via 1 formative and 1 summative assessment. The summative assessment will be in the form of an in-person written examination (or equivalent) and will test the ability of the students to define, explain and use the principles of thermodynamics (C1), with opportunity to interpret the results (C2). The assessment will be appropriate to the intended skills outcomes. The formative assessment will be in the form of an online quiz that will run prior to the winter break after the lectures/tutorial classes are finished. The results of this test will guide revision by identifying areas of strength/weakness in the thermodynamics content and will test the use of thermodynamic principles via calculation-based questions (C1).
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CME1021's Timetable