CQUniversity Unit Profile
CHEM13083 Physical Chemistry
Physical Chemistry
All details in this unit profile for CHEM13083 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
Corrections

Unit Profile Correction added on 27-02-24

As per the timetable, the residential school should be listed for 1 - 2 May.

General Information

Overview

In this unit you will develop advanced understanding of the core areas of physical chemistry, based around the themes of systems, states and processes. You will study mixtures and phases, spectroscopy, molecular motion and ionic conductance. This unit will extend your theoretical knowledge to complex mixtures encountered in environmental studies and vibrational spectroscopy, which is rapidly emerging as a core analytical tool for screening and quantification of species in a myriad of disciplines.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 3
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Prerequisite: CHEM19085 OR CHEM12077 OR CHEM12079 OR CHEM12080

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2024

Mixed Mode

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Residential Schools

This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Written Assessment
Weighting: 20%
2. Report
Weighting: 50%
3. Online Test
Weighting: 30%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from From students at res school.

Feedback

Students found the text difficult to use well and struggled with its style and mathematical detail.

Recommendation

Look into other texts that have an alternative way of presenting the material. As a unit with a significant mathematical component, consideration can be given to alternative ways to assist students.

Feedback from From students at res school and student evaluation

Feedback

Students found it difficult to make full links between the lab component and the theory components of the unit.

Recommendation

The res school experiments are under review to further enhance this important aspect of the unit. Restructure the lab manual to remove some of the extraneous theory that already exists in the lecture material.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Evaluate the properties of mixtures
  2. Predict the types of molecular motion in fluids and mixtures
  3. Design and conduct practical assessments of molar conductance and conductivity
  4. Assess the kinetics and determine the mass transfer process of various chemical reactions.
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Report - 50%
3 - Online Test - 30%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Written Assessment - 20%
2 - Report - 50%
3 - Online Test - 30%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Statistical Thermodynamics, and Kinetics, Global Edition

Authors: Thomas Engel and Philip Reid
Pearson
Binding: eBook

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
  • Endnote
  • MS Office
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Vancouver

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Shaneel Chandra Unit Coordinator
s.chandra@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 04 Mar 2024

Module/Topic

Fundamental Concepts of Thermodynamics

Chapter

1

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 11 Mar 2024

Module/Topic

Heat, Work, Internal Energy, and the First Law of Thermodynamics

Chapter

2

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 18 Mar 2024

Module/Topic

Internal Energy, Enthalpy and Thermochemistry

Chapter

3, 4

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 4 Begin Date: 25 Mar 2024

Module/Topic

Phase Diagrams and the Relative Stability of Solids, Liquids and
Gases

Chapter

8

Events and Submissions/Topic

Evaluation of an AI-generated scientific essay Due: Week 4 Friday (29 Mar 2024) 11:00 am AEST
Week 5 Begin Date: 01 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

Electrochemical Cells and Batteries

Chapter

11

Events and Submissions/Topic

Vacation Week Begin Date: 08 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 15 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

Transport Phenomena

Chapter

17

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 22 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

Elementary Chemical Kinetics

Chapter

18

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 29 Apr 2024

Module/Topic

Complex Reaction Mechanisms

Chapter

19

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 9 Begin Date: 06 May 2024

Module/Topic

Ideal and Real Solutions

Chapter

9

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 10 Begin Date: 13 May 2024

Module/Topic

Ideal and Real Solutions

Chapter

9

Events and Submissions/Topic

Practical and Written Assessment Due: Week 10 Friday (17 May 2024) 11:00 am AEST
Week 11 Begin Date: 20 May 2024

Module/Topic

Electrolyte Solutions

Chapter

10

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 12 Begin Date: 27 May 2024

Module/Topic

Revision

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Online Test Due: Week 12 Friday (31 May 2024) 12:00 pm AEST
Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 03 Jun 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam Week Begin Date: 10 Jun 2024

Module/Topic

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Assessment Tasks

1 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Evaluation of an AI-generated scientific essay

Task Description

You will be provided with a scientific essay generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI). You are to apply your own essay-writing experience and physical chemistry knowledge to evaluate the essay, and grade it according to the criteria that will be provided. 


Assessment Due Date

Week 4 Friday (29 Mar 2024) 11:00 am AEST

To be submitted via Moodle


Return Date to Students

Week 7 Friday (26 Apr 2024)

Returned with feedback via Moodle


Weighting
20%

Minimum mark or grade
50%

Assessment Criteria

Your evaluation of the essay will be graded according to the following:

Demonstration of knowledge of the subject (with examples) as applied towards your evaluation (50%)

Critical analysis of the writing (50%)

 


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Predict the types of molecular motion in fluids and mixtures
  • Assess the kinetics and determine the mass transfer process of various chemical reactions.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy

2 Report

Assessment Title
Practical and Written Assessment

Task Description

The Assessment Task relates to the compulsory Residential School. At the Residential School, you may work in pairs or groups on experiments. For the Assessment Task, you will write up an individual scientific report of the experiments and activities undertaken during the Residential School.


Assessment Due Date

Week 10 Friday (17 May 2024) 11:00 am AEST


Return Date to Students

Review/Exam Week Friday (7 June 2024)

Returned with feedback via Moodle


Weighting
50%

Minimum mark or grade
50%

Assessment Criteria

Introduction and Background: 50%
Very convincing justifications for the merits of the experiments

Demonstration of theory to relate experiment to environmental analytical applications

 

Literature: 20%
Scientific literature, externally cited in the correct format to justify claims and explanations


Organization: 30%
Well-positioned to reinforce the argument(s)
Data tabulated and graphs generated on computer.

Correctly labelled figures and tables

 

Overall Presentation: 10%
No typos, cohesive and very easy to follow arguments
Word limit - 2000


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
To be submitted via Moodle

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Evaluate the properties of mixtures
  • Predict the types of molecular motion in fluids and mixtures
  • Design and conduct practical assessments of molar conductance and conductivity
  • Assess the kinetics and determine the mass transfer process of various chemical reactions.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Team Work

3 Online Test

Assessment Title
Online Test

Task Description

The Online Test will be an assortment of problem-solving and extended-answer questions. The mark allocations per question will be provided on the Assessment with each question.

The access to the Test will be for 24 hours, as explained below:

Open: 12.00 pm Thursday, 30 May

Close: 12.00 pm Friday, 31 May.

Duration of Test: 3 hours

You must open the Test within the 24 hour period and attempt it. Once opened, you will have 3 hours to answer the questions. Access to the Test within the 24-hour period will only be once. Please ensure that you have given yourself 3 hours to attempt all the questions and upload your answers and that you have Internet connectivity for the duration of the Test.


Assessment Due Date

Week 12 Friday (31 May 2024) 12:00 pm AEST

To by attempted in Moodle


Return Date to Students

Exam Week Friday (14 June 2024)

Marks will be released via Moodle at Certification of Grades.


Weighting
30%

Minimum mark or grade
50%

Assessment Criteria

Each question will have the allocated marks stated.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
To be submitted by the due date and time.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Evaluate the properties of mixtures
  • Predict the types of molecular motion in fluids and mixtures
  • Assess the kinetics and determine the mass transfer process of various chemical reactions.


Graduate Attributes
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?