Teaching Staff

Dr Danny Wong is the lecturer-in-charge for this unit.  All students enrolled in CBMS102 should consult Dr Danny Wong (phone (02) 9850 8300, Room F7B 235, e-mail: Danny.Wong@mq.edu.au) if you have any administrative or organisational problems.

Dr Louise Brown will deliver several topics in CBMS102.  Dr Brown’s office is located in Room F7B 335 and can be contacted by e-mail (Louise.Brown@mq.edu.au) from Tuesday to Friday inclusive.

It is expected that from time to time students will need individual help with specific questions about the study material or with particular exercises.  In the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, we are always willing to make time available to help individual students.  The only provisos are that you must first have made a genuine effort to understand the work yourself and that your problems are specific.  It is advisable to phone for an appointment in advance.  Most staff have voice-mail phone answering, so please leave a message if the person you want is unavailable.

We hope that you find CBMS102 interesting and stimulating.

 Classes

Many aspects of science aim to connect observations, either in the laboratory or in the everyday world, with chemical principles.  CBMS102 concentrates on physical, inorganic and general chemistry.  It is suitable for any First Year university students serious in studying science.  CBMS102 students are expected to have already successfully completed HSC chemistry (Band 4 or above) or those who have successfully completed CBMS101.

 The unit is designed to help science students gain chemical insight in terms of atoms, molecules and energy, and develop analytical and quantitative skills.  In conjunction with CBMS103 in Session 2, this unit provides both a general chemistry background for students majoring in other sciences and a firm foundation for students intending to major in chemistry.

CBMS102 is a 3-credit-point half-year unit, which will require students to invest an average of at least 9 hours of work per week comprising three one-hour lectures a week, one 1-hour tutorial per week and a four-hour laboratory session every second week plus 3 hours per week of private study.  Students with weak chemistry backgrounds will probably need to spend significantly more time than this.  New material and new concepts are introduced in fast succession.  Thus, in order to successfully complete this unit, students will need to work hard, consistently and continuously throughout the session.

 Required and Recommended Texts and/or Materials

 The prescribed texts are:

A.Blackman, S.Bottle, S.Schmid, M.Mocerino, U.Wille, J.E.Brady, F.Senese, W.H.Brown, T.Poon, J.Olmsted III, G.M.Williams Chemistry, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd, 2012.   [ISBN: 978 174 246 707 8]

and

G. Aylward and T. Findlay, SI Chemical Data (6th Ed.), John Wiley and Sons, 2008.  [ISBN: 978 0 470 81638 7]

You are expected to have a copy of each book.  SI Chemical Data contains important safety information and must be brought to every laboratory session. 

PowerPoint presentations of lectures  are of little value without the text.  You are also required to download Laboratory Notes for CBMS102 from the CBMS102 website at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au.  It is not possible to meet the requirements of the unit without a copy of these notes.

Learture notes can be viewed or printed from the CBMS102 website at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au using any web browser such as Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.

If necessary, the following two textbooks are recommended as useful references and they are available in the Library or through the Co-operative Bookshop:

•   T.L.Brown, H.E.LeMay, Jr, B.E.Bursten, C.J.Murphy, S.Langford, D.Sagatys, Chemistry The Central Science: A Broad Perspective, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010.  [ISBN: 9781 4425 1147 7]
• M.S.Silberberg, Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change, McGraw Hill, 2009.

 Some basic high school level mathematical skills would also be useful in CBMS102.  If you need to refresh basic mathematical skills, you may like to obtain a copy of

P.Monk, Maths for Chemistry, A Chemist’s toolkit of calculations, Oxford University Press, 2006

which is available in the Co-operative Bookshop.  Limited copies of this book are available in the Library.

Numeracy Centre

Students, who need help with revision of simple mathematical concepts required in this unit, can receive remedial assistance from the Numeracy Centre on campus.  Topics such as simple proportions, logarithms and manipulation of simple equations are examples of topics offered by the Centre. Contact the Numeracy Centre (C5A 225) on 9850 8924.

 Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services.  Some examples are Study Skills Workshops, Writing Gateway, library tours and IT training.  Details of these services can be accessed at http://www.students.mq.edu.au. 

Lecture Schedule for CBMS102, Session 1, 2013

CBMS102 is a 3-credit-point half-year unit, which will require students to invest an average of at least 9 hours of work per week comprising three one-hour lectures a week, one 1-hour tutorial per week and a four-hour laboratory session every second week plus 3 hours per week of private study.  Students with weak chemistry backgrounds will probably need to spend significantly more time than this.  New material and new concepts are introduced in fast succession.  Thus, in order to successfully complete this unit, students will need to work hard, consistently and continuously throughout the session.

 Syllabus

A hardcopy of the syllabus for CBMS102 detailing topics to be covered and textbook sections to be studied is set out on separate sheets.  Consult this syllabus frequently to be sure that you have covered all the required material.

Unit Requirements

In order to complete this unit you must:

(a)   Participate in all laboratory sessions and submit laboratory reports by the designated dates.

(b)  Submit answers to the computer tutorial exercises.

(c)   Attempt the mid-session test at the normal lecture time on Thursday, 2 May  2013.

(d)  Sit a final examination of three hours duration.

Students unable to attend a laboratory class due to illness or misadventure (defined in the ‘Student Information’ section of the University Undergraduate Studies Handbook) should provide the University with documentation including a medical certificate as soon as possible after any such absence.  In special circumstances, it may be possible to attend an alternative laboratory class, but this must be arranged in advance with Dr Danny Wong.  If you miss more than one laboratory session through illness or misadventure, you should request withdrawal without penalty.  If an absence is anticipated (perhaps for a mandatory religious event, etc), the student must inform teaching staff in advance that this will be the case and make alternative arrangements.  It is the responsibility of the student to undertake this.  Notification after the event of an anticipatable absence will not be looked upon favourably.  If you miss any laboratory session without adequate evidence of illness or misadventure, you may be awarded an FA grade.  A satisfactory level of laboratory work must be achieved to gain an overall pass in CBMS102.

 Unit Expectations

 In addition to the formal requirements for the unit, there are other actions you should take to have a reasonable chance of success.  They are the same things that you need to do in order to demonstrate that you have been performing satisfactorily up to the time of any request for special consideration.

The unit expectations are that you will:

·           attend all lectures

·           attend all tutorial classes and attempt tutorial exercises from the textbook in addition to computer-based questions

·           demonstrate reasonable competence in all laboratory preparation exercises before each class

·           demonstrate reasonable competence in the post-laboratory exercises submitted by the due dates

·           spend an average of no less than 3 hours per week private study in addition to class contact 

If you fail to meet the formal unit requirements, you may be withdrawn from the unit, but if you fail to meet these expectations, the probability of obtaining a passing grade will be greatly reduced. 

Lectures

As indicated above, notes to be presented in lectures will be available on the CBMS102 Web pages at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/.  You may wish to take printed copies of these transparencies to your lectures so you can spend most of the lecture time listening to the presenter and less on transcribing notes.  But be warned!  You may be tempted to believe that reading the notes can substitute for attendance at the lectures.  Many PowerPoint presentations make little sense without the accompanying discussion.  Moreover, not all PowerPoint presentations used in lectures are necessarily included in the material that is placed on the Web.

Tutorials

Tutorial work in CBMS102 takes two forms: computer-based exercises (on which assessment is based) and regular tutorial classes (which all students are strongly advised to attend).

A set of 6 computerised assignments aimed at the development of problem solving skills is an important part of the CBMS102 unit.  These assignments are available at http://www.saplinglearning.com.  While working through problems in these assignments, you will receive an immediate indication of whether your answers are right or wrong; and you will be provided with a variety of strategies for finding out where you went wrong. 

To prepare for your computerised assignments, you must have already attempted as many as possible of the textbook questions listed on the tutorial sheets to be provided.  During each tutorial class you should ask questions about any problem that caused you difficulties, but in the absence of questions, your tutor will ask the class to work through the examples listed on the tutorial sheets.  You will get much more benefit from the tutorials if you have prepared in advance.

 Laboratory Work

Details of the laboratory work are contained in the notes available on the CBMS102 website.  You will be scheduled to complete a total of six experiments.

The Laboratory Notes must be read and some simple preparatory exercises submitted one day before you attend the laboratory session.  You can do so by submitting your work to Dr Danny Wong’s office.  The answers to the exercises are to be written on the sheets of the Data Section at the end of each set of Experimental Notes.

The laboratory work must be completed and handed in one-week after your laboratory session.  Post-laboratory exercises are provided for you to gain bonus marks, and they should be submitted together with your main reports.  Again, you can drop your work at Dr Danny Wong’s office.  While comments may be provided for your guidance, your bonus mark out of 0.5 will reflect the quality of your answers.

 Computer Tutorial Exercises

You are expected to undertake web-based exercises at regular intervals during the course of CBMS102.  These exercises are to be performed on-line via the website http://www.saplinglearning.com.  The questions you will be answering are randomly generated and are unique to you.  While it is possible to print out your assignments to work on them off-line, ultimately you need to enter the answers to your questions online, therefore you will need to have access to a computer with internet access.

The exercises are divided into six assignments, each covering approximately two weeks of work.  The problems are divided into different levels of difficulty.  Pay attention to the  due dates and times for submitting the exercises on the same website. Note that 10% of mark will be deducted for every one late day past the due date.  

It is expected that from time to time students will need individual help with specific questions about the study material or with particular exercises.  In the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, we are always willing to make time available to help individual students.  The only provisos are that you must first have made a genuine effort to understand the work yourself and that your problems are specific.  It is advisable to phone for an appointment in advance.  Most staff have voice-mail phone answering, so please leave a message if the person you want is unavailable.

The textbook for 2013 has been changed

from

T.L.Brown, H.E.LeMay, Jr, B.E.Bursten, C.J.Murphy, S.Langford, D.Sagatys, Chemistry The Central Science: A Broad Perspective, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2010

to 

A.Blackman, S.Bottle, S.Schmid, M.Mocerino, U.Wille, J.E.Brady, F.Senese, W.H.Brown, T.Poon, J.Olmsted III, G.M.Williams Chemistry, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd, 2012. .

If you have purchased a copy of the textbook, please refer to instructions for access Sapling Learning given in an attached activation card.

Otherwise, please follow the instructions below.

1. Go to http://saplinglearning.com

2a. If you have Facebook account, you can use it to quickly create a SaplingLearning account.  Click the blue button with the Facebook symbol on it (just to the left of the username field). The form will auto-fill with information from your Facebook account (you may need to log into Facebook in the popup window first).  Choose a password and timezone, accept the site policy agreement, and click "Create my new account".  You can then skip to step 3. 

2b. Otherwise, click "create account”.  Supply the requested information and click "Create my new account".  Check your email (and spam filter) for a message from Sapling Learning and click on the link provided in that email.

3. Find your unit (CBMS102) in the list  (you may need to expand the subject and term categories) and click the link.

4. Select a payment option and follow the remaining instructions. Once you have registered and enrolled, you can log in at any time to complete or review your assignments.  

During sign up - and throughout the session - if you have any technical problems or grading issues, send an email to support@saplinglearning.com explaining the issue. The Sapling support team is almost always more able (and faster) to resolve issues than your lecturer.

“General Chemistry” is considered by many students to be a demanding unit.  When you look at the syllabus, you will probably conclude that there is a lot of work assigned, perhaps significantly more than that assigned in some of your other units.  Such a conclusion is correct!  This unit will most likely be considerably more demanding than many of your other units.  We expect that you will spend an average of at least 3 hours of private study per week in this unit.  If you do your work in a timely and conscientious way, perhaps following the study methods suggested below, you should do fine.

Your success will depend primarily on your being able to LOGICALLY analyse the wording on the chemical problems in tutorial exercises, online assignments and examinations, and relate the problems to basic concepts and mathematical expressions.  For most students, the best way to learn the material is to work on the tutorial exercises independently.  Good analytical skills and problem solving techniques must be acquired in order to pass the examinations that consist solely of problems – rote memorisation of the book will NOT allow you to pass the unit.  Memorise by learning, but do not learn by memorising.  Chemistry is a cumulative subject where one principle builds upon another.  This unit in general chemistry moves along at a fast pace and you need to stay on top of the materials at all times.  Experience shows us that students who fall far behind encounter severe difficulties and rarely catch up again.

If, despite the stellar performances of the lecturers and others and even after careful and extensive studying on your own, you do realise that some difficulties remain with understanding the unit material, then seek help early!  It is often beneficial to study with a friend in the unit.  Dr Danny Wong and Dr Louise Brown are always happy to assist you as long as you take the initiative.

Some suggested guides in studying CBMS102 are listed below.

• Read up the relevant sections in the textbook before the lecture on a particular topic.  Check for important learning objectives and key concepts at the end of the chapter.
• Re-read the relevant sections after lecture, focussing on points emphasised in the lecture and in those sections, if any, that you did not understand completely.
• Do the assigned tutorial problems.  Check your answer to each problem to make sure you have done the problem correctly.  Do not spend an inordinate amount of time struggling with a problem you cannot do.  Seek help with the problem!  Once you have found out the way to solve a particular problem, put the solution away and make sure you can do the problem on your own.  It is extremely important that you make certain you can do the problem yourself - just understanding it is not enough.  The most common trap that diligent (and not so diligent) students fall into is thinking that just because they understand (or think they understand) the solution to the problem, they will be able to do a similar problem in an examination.  Note that in your online assignments and examinations, you are alone without any solution.
• If, after doing all the tutorial problems, you feel in need of more drill, do some of the unassigned problems.  You will find some drills, discussions, animations and reviews of the concepts and the mathematics about each chapter at http://www.saplinglearning.com.   Make use of them!

Do not hesitate to seek help from Dr Danny Wong or Dr Louise Brown with any material that you cannot master on your own.  Studying with one or more friends often proves beneficial to everyone involved if the work is shared and everyone participates actively in the study group.

It is important that you have a scientific calculator as hand-held calculators will be used in laboratory sessions, for assignments, and in the final examination.  Note that calculators with text retrieving, memory and graphing capabilities are not allowed in the final examination.

The University provides general-use computers, but it would be advantageous to have your own computer and internet access.