Requirements to Pass the Unit

To successfully pass this unit, you are required to:

• Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50% across all assessments

 

Unit Participation

We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

 

Assessment Task 1. Principles of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences (Quantitative Analysis Task) (10%): 

The Quantitative Analysis Task will be completed in Week 7 during your scheduled Workshop session and will contribute 10% to your overall mark. The Task will consist of a series of short-answer and calculation-style questions based on an authentic real-world scenario a chemist working in industry may face. The Task will cover unit material (i.e. lectures, workshops, practical classes) delivered up to, and including, Week 6.

 

Assessment Task 2. Practical Chemistry and Data Interpretation (Portfolio) (40%):

The practical portfolio comprises:

Prelab safety exercises: must be completed online via iLearn with a minimum score of 60% at least 24 hours prior to your practical class. Failure to meet this requirement will result in denial of entry to the laboratory. These questions are designed to ensure you have adequately prepared for the laboratory class, including understanding the associated risks and safety issues, and becoming familiar with the apparatus and techniques to be used.

Practical reports: will be completed during the lab class and submitted to your demonstrator before you leave that class. Part of your practical report mark will be based on your:

• Preparation: 
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): You bring all necessary PPE, including a lab coat, safety glasses, and enclosed shoes.
  • Laboratory Notes: You bring your laboratory manual or notes, which include the experiment procedures and safety guidelines. 
  • Understanding Safety Protocols: It is clear that you are familiar with the laboratory's safety rules and emergency procedures. If asked, you know the location of safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, eye wash stations, and first aid kits.
  • Knowledge of the Experiment: You have reviewed the experiment's background, objectives, and procedures. You understand the theory behind the experiment and the steps you will be performing.
  • Materials and Equipment: You have brought all the necessary materials and equipment for the experiment. Staff may check that all your equipment is in working order and that you know how to use it properly.
  • Time Management: You complete your lab classes within the allotted class period. This includes setting up, conducting the experiment, and cleaning up.
  • Mental Preparedness: Your approach to the lab shows focus and an attentive mindset. Staff observe you to be actively engaged with the experiments and follow instructions precisely.

• Safety Conduct: You demonstrated the ability to conduct yourself in a safe manner.

• Ethical Conduct: You demonstrated the ability to conduct yourself in an ethical manner.

• Engagement: You showed a high level of engagement with the activities.

Please note, if you miss a scheduled practical class, you are NOT entitled to automatic rescheduling. If you have difficulty participating in a scheduled practical class, please contact the Unit Convenor as soon as possible (preferably IN ADVANCE), as you may be provided the opportunity to participate in another practical class in the same block.

 

Assessment Task 3. Final Examination (Examination) (50%):

The final examination will be 2 hours in length, with 10 minutes reading time, and consist of multiple choice and free-text questions. The final examination questions will be drawn from all components of the unit (lectures, workshops, practical classes) and is designed to assess your achievement of the unit learning outcomes.

 

Late Assessment Submission

Late assessments are not accepted in this unit unless a Special Consideration has been submitted and approved.

 

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the Unit Convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through https://connect.mq.edu.au.

If you receive an approved Special Consideration for the Final Examination, a Supplementary Final Examination will be scheduled in the interval between the regular exam period and the start of the next session. By requesting a Special Consideration for the Final Examination, you are declaring yourself available for a re-sit during the Supplementary Examination Period and will not be eligible for a second Special Consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure that you are familiar with the Special Consideration Policy prior to submitting an application.

 

Gradebook

Your marks will be displayed on iLearn through Gradebook. It is your responsibility to regularly verify that the records displayed in iLearn (Tools>Grades) are correct.

 

Communication

During the semester, the CHEM1001 iLearn site will be used to communicate important information to you. In addition, emails will be sent to your student email account. Please check your messages frequently.

We cannot overstate the importance of regularly checking your emails and the CHEM1001 iLearn site.

Please feel free to communicate directly with your Unit Convenor using the contact details provided on the iLearn. Questions about the unit content and administration that may be of general interest will be best posted the Student Q&A on the iLearn site so that everybody can see the answer.

 

Classes

• Lectures: The Semester 2 offering of CHEM1001 runs in "Infrequent attendance" mode. As such, there are no face-to-face lectures. Instead, lecture recordings from Semester 1 are available via Echo360, which is accessible through the iLearn site. Lecture notes are also available to download on the iLearn site.

• Workshops: Workshops commence in Week 2 and are delivered over Zoom. During the Workshops, you will work through problems using an online system (Learning Catalytics). A desktop or laptop computer works best. Mobile phones can be used as a last resort, but you may experience some difficulty in manipulating some of the items in the questions.

• Practicals: Practicals commence on the weekend of Week 5. In the practical sessions you will do actual chemistry in the laboratory. You will be able to put into practice the theory you have learned in the lectures and workshops.

The practical classes for CHEM1001 are run in 14SCO 308. It is very important that you understand that you will not be allowed to attend the laboratory if you do not have a laboratory coat (“lab coat”), safety glasses and enclosed, sturdy footwear (i.e. sandals, jandals, thongs, flip-flops, crocs and ugg boots are NOT acceptable). For hygiene reasons, you must provide your own lab coat, safety glasses and enclosed footwear. Disposable gloves are supplied. It is also important that you understand that the doors to the laboratory will be closed 15 minutes after the scheduled start of the class. Entry to the class will not be permitted after this time.

You are required to undertake prelaboratory exercises (prelabs) before coming to the session, to help you prepare for the lab. During the lab you will be assessed on preparedness, general behaviour, ethical behaviour, and competence, as well as the quality of your results. You are to submit a report (“lab report”) that summarises the outcomes of your investigation.

 

Teaching and Learning Strategy

CHEM1001 is a 10 credit-point, half-year unit and will require, on average, 10 hours study per week (contact hours plus self-study time).

CHEM1001 is designed to introduce you to the principles of the molecular sciences, including developing an understanding of the practical skills required to undertake simple chemistry experiments in an efficient and safe manner. The lecture materials, workshops and practical classes complement each other, and along with practice quizzes, have been developed to increase your understanding of the topics so that you can achieve the learning outcomes.

The unit expectation is that you will:

• Watch all Lecture recordings.
• Actively participate in the Workshop classes and attempt the exercises.
• Demonstrate competence in all Practical exercises.
• Spend an average of no less than 3 hours per week of private study in addition to class contact.

If you prepare, study and participate in all components of the unit and work consistently and continuously throughout the session, you will be able to develop a strong understanding of the general, inorganic and organic chemistry presented, and perform well in this unit. Students who fail to do this and try to cram just before the exam will not do well in this unit.

• Lectures: You are expected to watch the lecture recordings from Semester 1 on Echo360 and read through and take notes on the lecture materials provided on the iLearn site. Keeping up to date with lecture material is crucial to avoid falling behind and performing poorly. Learning is an active process, so you must engage with the material. It is strongly recommended to review lecture notes and relevant textbook sections (and beyond) both before and after lectures.
• Workshop classes are run to assist your understanding of the course material. Experience has demonstrated that there is a strong correlation between engagement with all activities, including the Workshop classes, and success in this unit. During the interactive Zoom Workshops we will use an online question system, Mastering Chemistry/Learning Catalytics. The problems assigned for that week’s workshop will be undertaken during the class. This will give you an opportunity to ask questions and seek help on areas with which you are having difficulty.
• Practical classes are designed to develop basic laboratory skills, safety practices, and critical and analytical reasoning skills. Pre-practical (“prelabs”) questions are designed to ensure that you are ready for the practical work and have grasped the relevant theory and necessary safety practices. In-lab work is designed to teach you to appropriately record your experimental observations and to present your calculations in a detailed manner. 

 

Textbook

• Chemistry: The Central Science in SI Units, Expanded Edition, Global Edition, 15th edition, by Theodore L. Brown, H. Eugene LeMay, Bruce E. Bursten, Catherine Murphy, Patrick Woodward, Steven Langford, Dalius Sagatys, Adrian George
• N.B. Mastering Chemistry is strongly aligned to this textbook. Macquarie University has paid for your license for Mastering Chemistry, which includes the textbook itself. You may wish to purchase a hardcopy or e-text for yourself, if you find it easier to use and if you wish to keep the text beyond this unit. If you do so, do not buy the MasteringChemistry license as you already have this.

 

Other Recommended Texts

• Openstax McMurray Organic Chemistry: A Tenth Edition (free) Download or view at no cost from https://openstax.org/details/books/organic-chemistry
• Pushing Electrons: a Guide for Students of Organic Chemistry by Daniel P. Weeks, Fourth Edition, 2014, Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. (https://au.cengage.com/c/isbn/9781133951889/) (QD476 .W38 2014)
• Openstax Chemistry 2e (free) Download or view at no cost at https://openstax.org/details/books/chemistry-2e
• Introductory Chemistry by David W. Ball (free) Download or view at no cost from https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/22
• CLUE: Chemistry, Life, the Universe and Everything by Melanie M. Cooper and Michael W. Klymkowsky (free) Download or view at no cost at https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/clue-chemistry-life-the-universe-and-everything
• Introductory Chemistry by Nivaldo J. Tro, Fifth Edition (Pearson New International Edition), 2015, Pearson Education (QD33.2 .T76 2015)

Other general and organic chemistry textbooks may also be useful.

High school textbooks may be useful for those students who have not studied Chemistry prior to this unit:

• Chemistry in Focus - Year 12 by Debra Smith, Anne Disney, Anna Davis (ISBN: 9780170408998)
• Excel Year 11 - Chemistry Study Guide by Geoffrey Thickett (ISBN: 9781741256758)
• Excel Year 12 Chemistry Study Guide by: Geoffrey Thickett (ISBN: 9781741256765)
• Chemistry Essentials for Dummies by John T. Moore (ISBN: 9781119591146)

CHEM1001 S2 2025 Schedule

Week 1

1. Familiarisation with Unit Material provided on iLearn and Echo360
2. Introduction to Chemistry – definitions: matter, states, reactions

Week 2

1. The Periodic Table - Structure of Atoms, emphasis on Electron Number, electron arrangement (shells), Trends Periods and Groups in the Periodic Table – atomic radius, ionic radius, electronegativity, ionisation energy, reactivity
2. Matter and Change – definitions of Chemistry, molecules/compounds, representations of Chemistry: chemical equations, balancing equations, Naming binary and simple polyatomic inorganic compounds.

Week 3

1. Quantification – significant figures, scientific notation. The mole and molar mass; conversions between amount (molecular) and amount (molar) and between amount and mass.
2. Quantification – concentration and dilutions

Week 4

1. Equilibria – K_eq. K_sp, K_a, K_b as examples of K_eq under specific contexts.
2. Acids and Bases – examples of equilibria. K_a, K_b, K_w; pH etc.

Week 5

1. Buffers – concepts, quantification, Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation
2. Molecular Shape – Lewis Diagrams
3. Electronegativity and polarisation

Week 6

1. Organic Chemistry: Functional Groups and Drawing Structures
2. Organic Compound Naming

Week 7

1. Conformations, Isomerism and Stereochemistry
2. Predicting Reactivity and Electron Pushing

Week 8

1. Alkanes, Alkenes and Alkynes - Reactivities
2. Aromatic Compounds - Properties and Reactivities

Week 9

1. Alkyl halides - Reactivities Part 1
2. Alkyl halides - Reactivities Part 2

Week 10

1. Alcohols - Reactivities
2. Aldehydes and Ketones - Reactivities

Week 11

1. Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives - Properties and Reactivities
2. Biomolecules Part 1 - Carbohydrates

Week 12

1. Biomolecules Part 2 - Amines, Amino Acids, Peptides and Proteins
2. Biomolecules Part 3 - Nucleic acids

Week 13

1. Revision
2. Revision

Two minor changes were made to the unit assessment structure to improve alignment with the revised Macquarie University Assessment Policy:

1. The "Problem Set (10%)" was replaced with a "Quantitative Analysis Task (10%)"
2. The "Practice-Based Task (40%)" was replaced with a "Portfolio (40%)"

The "Final Examination (50%)" was not modified.