CHEM11043 - Atoms, Molecules and Matter

General Information

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 and 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. On-campus students will attend regular laboratory sessions and there is a compulsory residential school for distance students. These laboratory sessions will emphasise laboratory safety and introduce you to skills relating to 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 1 - 2023

Term 1 - 2023 Profile
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).

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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Online Quiz(zes) 30%
2. Written Assessment 20%
3. Practical Assessment 0%
4. Take Home Exam 50%

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

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2022 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 74.42% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 29.45% response rate.

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
Feedback
Students commented that they found the learning resources provided (study guide; recorded lectures and tutorials) were beneficial and helpful towards their learning process.
Recommendation
Continue to maintain the standards and quality of the contents based on the study guide that forms the central learning resource for this unit.
Action Taken
The study guide is still used in the unit, with continuous updates occurring.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students commented that the residential school were very help and provided them with a great opportunity to experience learning the practical skills.
Recommendation
Continue to maintain the standards and quality of the delivery of the residential schools in view of enhancing student engagement in this unit.
Action Taken
Residential schools continued, in the format that had positive feedback from students..
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students recommended that a weekly live Q and A session would be highly beneficial for them to engage with the teaching team and towards improving their understanding of chemistry concepts.
Recommendation
Implement a live one-hour Q and A session every week for the next offering. This should be conducted as an open-ended session to accommodate any queries or issues students may have especially those that are new to chemistry.
Action Taken
Q&A sessions were provided.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students enjoyed the residential school but some commented that it was poorly organised.
Recommendation
Continue residential schools. Review staffing and organisation.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Video quality was a problem in some lecture/tutorial recordings.
Recommendation
Review recordings and update as necessary.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: SUTE, email, Moodle
Feedback
Students appreciate the study guide, but continue to find issues and errors.
Recommendation
Continue use of study guide but ensure continual updates and checks.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the structure of the atom including its sub-atomic particles and relate these to the design of the Periodic Table
  2. Determine the nature of chemical bonding and intermolecular forces present in molecules and ions
  3. Identify types of chemical reactions, and balance and interpret chemical equations
  4. Perform chemical calculations relating to reaction equilibrium, yield and the pH of acids, bases and buffers
  5. 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
  6. Outline the process of nuclear decay and discuss measures used to ensure safety when working with radiation
  7. Work safely in the laboratory to prepare samples and standards and perform titrimetric and spectrophotometric analysis.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Online Quiz(zes) • • • • • •
2 - Written Assessment • •
3 - Practical Assessment •
4 - Take Home Exam • • • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
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 •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2 - Written Assessment • • • • •
4 - Take Home Exam • • •
1 - Online Quiz(zes) • • • •
3 - Practical Assessment • • •