F17SG - Mathematics for Scientists 1

Course leader(s):

• Mark Lawson (Edinburgh, September)

Syllabus

1. 1. Numbers (1.1 Different kinds of real numbers.)

2. 3.. Units (2.1 SI units and how to convert between them.)

3. 4. Significant figures. (3.1 Accuracy and how to represent it.)

4. 5. The moles and its uses (4.1 Why the mole is important in chemistry:, 4.2 links the microscopic with the macroscopic.)

5. 6. Powers of numbers. (5.1 What it means to raise a positive numbers to a rational power.)

6. 7, Logarithms (6.1 Logs as un-doers of powers.)

7. 8. Algebra (7.1 Manipulation of formulae.)

8. 9. Functions (8.1 Different kinds of function:, 8.2 linear, power, exponential, of the Michaelis-Menten type.)

9. 10. Calculus (9.1 Integration as finding areas and differentiation as finding slopes.)

10. 11. Stats (10.1 Arithmetic means and standard deviations., 10.2 The normal distribution and how to use it., 10.3 Regression lines and how to use your calculator to find them.)

11. 2. Writing numbers down. (11.1 Scientific notation.)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students should be able to do the following:

• Given a real number determine if it is rational and, if it is, find a rational number in its simplest form which equals that real number.
• Convert measurements between systems of units.
• Calculate the number of moles present in a substance.
• Demonstrate the ability to solve algebraic equations and re-arrange formulae.
• Identify a function as linear, a power law, exponential or of Michaelis-Menten type and determine its parameters.
• Estimate the proportion of the population falling between two values for normally distributed data with given mean and standard deviation.
• Use regression analysis to find a line of best fit for given data.
• Use logs or reciprocals and regression analysis to determine the nature of a function which fits given data.

Further details

Curriculum explorer: Click here

SCQF Level: 7

Credits: 15