Unit Synopsis
Atoms, Molecules and Matter will provide you with an understanding of the basic principles of chemistry and how they apply to daily life. This unit will present fundamental chemical principles that are central to all sciences, including healthcare, biology, environmental science and agriculture. This unit will provide the foundation for further study in chemistry, biochemistry and molecular sciences. You will learn about matter and atomic structure, chemical bonding and the forces and chemical interactions between molecules. You will be introduced to the chemistry of electrolytes, acids, bases and buffers and enabled to perform calculations relating concentrations to the pH of strong and weak acids, bases and buffers. Understanding the naming and classification of chemical compounds will allow you to communicate effectively and precisely with your colleagues in science and industry. Basic nuclear radiation safety will be presented. This unit has a compulsory residential school. The residential school will emphasise laboratory safety and introduce you to skills relating to the preparation of standard solutions and volumetric procedures, titrimetric and spectrophotometric analyses and scientific report writing.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 1 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Anti-requisite: CHEM11041 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). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School |
Compulsory Residential School View Unit Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2026
Term 2 - 2026 Profile
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).
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.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Online Quiz(zes) | 30% |
| 2. Written Assessment | 40% |
| 3. Practical Assessment | 0% |
| 4. Online Test | 30% |
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%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site.
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.
Source: SUTE Unit Comments Report.
Some students commented that the residential school was challenging but the teaching staff were helpful and knowledgeable.
Continue to support the students with experienced and enthusiastic academic staff members during the residential school.
Experienced and enthusiastic teaching staff were retained for the residential school to continue providing high-quality academic support and guidance to students throughout the residential schools.
Source: SUTE Unit Comments Report and personal observation.
Some students with prior chemistry experience completed some of the practical tasks in a shorter time frame than allocated and at a faster rate than the majority of the cohort.
If a similar occurrence is observed in T1 2026, then work with the Head of Course and other relevant staff (e.g. teaching, technical, and timetabling teams) to determine if future measures could be taken to address this.
Student progress during practical sessions was monitored. The teaching team discussed options for accommodating varying completion rates, with further consultation to occur with the Head of Course and relevant teaching and technical staff if this remains an issue in future offerings.
Source: SUTE Unit Comments Report and personal observation.
The answers to a few of the questions in couple of the tutorial videos were slightly obscured by the tutor's hand.
Review these videos and update when possible.
This issue has been noted for consideration in a future revision of the resources.
Source: SUTE Unit Comments Report and personal observation.
The drop-in sessions (Zoom Q&A) were successful but were not always well attended. One student recommended offering the session later in the day.
Review the attendance at Zoom Sessions during Term 2 2025 and consider offering e.g., alternating morning and afternoon sessions during T1 2026.
Attendance at Zoom drop-in sessions was reviewed, and alternative scheduling options, including alternating morning and afternoon sessions, were considered to improve accessibility and participation in future offerings.
Source: SUTE
Students expressed mixed views about the residential school. Many found it valuable and engaging, while others felt the duration was too long or that activities did not cater well to students with differing levels of prior chemistry knowledge.
Review the structure and pacing of the residential school and explore opportunities to better accommodate students with varying levels of prior chemistry knowledge while maintaining learning outcomes.
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Some students indicated that the tutorial delivery could be more engaging, with additional explanation of worked examples and more support for students who are new to chemistry.
Review tutorial delivery with teaching staff to encourage more detailed explanations of worked examples and strategies to support students with limited chemistry background.
In Progress
Source: SUTE
A small number of students suggested that greater flexibility in the mode and timing of teaching would improve their learning experience, including preferences for in-person classes.
Continue to monitor student feedback regarding teaching delivery and consider feasible opportunities to enhance student engagement within the existing delivery model.
In Progress
Source: SUTE
A small number of students commented on the consistency of teaching staff and the availability of the unit coordinator during the term and residential school.
Review communication and staffing arrangements to ensure students have clear points of contact and a consistent learning experience throughout the unit.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Describe the structure of the atom including its sub-atomic particles and relate these to the design of the Periodic Table
- Determine the nature of chemical bonding and intermolecular forces present in molecules and ions
- Identify types of chemical reactions, and balance and interpret chemical equations
- Perform chemical calculations relating to reaction equilibrium, yield and the pH of acids, bases and buffers
- Identify functional groups and use the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists (IUPAC) nomenclature to name organic molecules and indicate their potential chemical interactions
- Outline the process of nuclear decay and discuss measures used to ensure safety when working with radiation
- Work safely in the laboratory to prepare samples and standards and perform titrimetric and spectrophotometric analysis.
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) | • | • | |||||
| 2 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | ||||
| 3 - Practical Assessment | • | ||||||
| 4 - Online Test | • | ||||||
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | ||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | • | • | • | ||
| 4 - Information Literacy | • | • | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | • | ||||||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |