Outline

Overview

Chemistry describes how and why things happen from a molecular perspective. Chemistry underpins all aspects of the natural and physical world, and provides the basis for new technologies and advances in the life, medical and physical sciences, engineering, and industrial processes. This unit of study will further develop your knowledge and skills in chemistry for application to life and medical sciences, engineering, and further study in chemistry. You will learn about nuclear and radiation chemistry, wave theory, atomic orbitals, spectroscopy, bonding, enthalpy and entropy, equilibrium, processes occurring in solutions, and the functional groups in carbon chemistry. You will develop experimental design, conduct and analysis skills in chemistry through experiments that ask and answer questions like how do dyes work, how do we desalinate water, how do we measure the acid content in foods, how do we get the blue in a blueprint, and how do we extract natural products from plants? Through inquiry, observation and measurement, you will understand the 'why' and the 'how' of the natural and physical world and will be able to apply this understanding to real-world problems and solutions. This unit of study is directed toward students with a satisfactory prior knowledge of the HSC chemistry course.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	CHEM1111
Academic unit	Chemistry Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	CHEM1001 or CHEM1101 or CHEM1901 or CHEM1903 or CHEM1109 or CHEM1011 or CHEM1911 or CHEM1991
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Students who have not completed HSC Chemistry (or equivalent) and HSC Mathematics (or equivalent) are strongly advised to take the Chemistry and Mathematics Bridging Courses (offered in February)
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Stephen George-Williams, stephen.george-williams@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Record+)	Final online exam online exam	55%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Labtorial and safety quizzes Open book online Canvas quizzes covering laboratory theory and safety	5%	Multiple weeks	15-30 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Laboratory Log Book a record of observations	5%	Multiple weeks	1-2 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Checkpoint quiz 1 Online open book Canvas quiz	5%	Week 05	25 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Mid-semester post-laboratory assessment Either a technical report or a student-generated at-home technique video	5%	Week 08	Varied
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Checkpoint quiz 2 Online open book Canvas quiz	5%	Week 09	25 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Checkpoint quiz 3 Online open book Canvas quiz	5%	Week 12	25 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	End of semester post-laboratory assessment Either a professional letter of recommendation or an infographic	5%	Week 13	Varied
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Pre-Lecture quizzes Multiple choice quizzes on Canvas based on a pre-lecture video	10%	Weekly	~15 minutes each week
Outcomes assessed:
= Type B final exam ?

Assessment summary

Lecture quizzes: Weekly online quizzes covering the topics in the lecture course. These quizzes are designed to help you prepare and get the most out of the lectures. Each quiz is available for 1 week prior to a given lecture series and you will lock before the first lecture of that week. You can have as many attempts at each quiz as you like within the period it is available. Your highest mark will be recorded. The first assessed quiz is the week 3 lecture quiz.
Checkpoint quizzes: Each quiz involves 10 multiple choice questions and will be held during the assigned week as an online open-book Canvas quiz. A sample quiz will be made available during the previous week and this should be consulted for the topics and style of the questions in the quiz.
Final exam: The final examination covers the whole of the lecture course and is made up of approximately 1/3 multiple-choice and 2/3 short answer questions.
Labtorial and safety quizzes: Available under 'Laboratory Program' Canvas site. Canvas quizzes based on laboratory manual, labtorial sessions and scientific literature. 1x safety quiz, 4x labtorial worksheets.
Laboratory Log Book: The logbook is a record of observations and hypotheses.
Mid-semester post-laboratory assessment: Will consist of completing either an at-home technique video (1-3 minutes in length) or a technical laboratory report.
End of semester post-laboratory assessment: Will consist of completing either an infographic or a professional letter of recommendation.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	At HD level, a student demonstrates a flair for the subject as well as a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the unit material. A ‘High Distinction’ reflects exceptional achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates the ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding to produce original solutions for novel or highly complex problems and/or comprehensive critical discussions of theoretical concepts.
Distinction	75 - 84	At DI level, a student demonstrates an aptitude for the subject and a well-developed understanding of the unit material. A ‘Distinction’ reflects excellent achievement and is awarded to a student who demonstrates an ability to apply their subject knowledge and understanding of the subject to produce good solutions for challenging problems and/or a reasonably well-developed critical analysis of theoretical concepts.
Credit	65 - 74	At CR level, a student demonstrates a good command and knowledge of the unit material. A ‘Credit’ reflects solid achievement and is awarded to a student who has a broad general understanding of the unit material and can solve routine problems and/or identify and superficially discuss theoretical concepts.
Pass	50 - 64	At PS level, a student demonstrates proficiency in the unit material. A ‘Pass’ reflects satisfactory achievement and is awarded to a student who has threshold knowledge.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Online quizzes cannot be submitted late.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Multiple weeks	Laboratory weeks 3-12, Blended online and on-campus program, see the lab canvas page for details	Science laboratory (3 hr)
Week 01	Nuclear chemistry	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 02	Nuclear chemistry and wave theory	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 03	Atomic structure	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 04	Molecular orbital theory	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 05	Bonding, VSEPR and intermolecular forces	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 06	Thermodynamics	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 07	Thermodynamics and equilibrium	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 08	Equilibrium	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 09	Equilibrium and acids and bases	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 10	Acids and bases and an introduction to organic chemistry	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 11	Isomers, aromatic compounds, alcohols & amines	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 12	Stereochemistry, aldehydes and ketones. Carboxylic acids and their derivatives, polymers and biopolymers.	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 13	Wrap-up and revision	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand of the concepts and language of general and physical chemistry
LO2. understand atomic theory, structure and bonding, energetics, equilibrium and the processes occurring in solution
LO3. perform safe laboratory manipulations and to handle glassware
LO4. find and analyse information and judge its reliability and significance
LO5. communicate scientific information appropriately both orally and through written work
LO6. engage in team and group work for scientific investigations and for the process of learning
LO7. demonstrate a sense of responsibility and independence as a learner and as a scientist
LO8. demonstrate basic skills in computing, numeracy and data handling.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Response to 2020, Sm 2 students: I note that while many of you enjoyed the live lectures delievered in the early part of the course, you felt disadvantaged by, or didn’t enjoy, the pre-recorded lectures later in semester. Thank you for this feedback as it (alongside student responses in other courses) helps us to better navigate this sudden COVID-19 induced online learning environment. In the future, we will likely stick with one model per unit and be more critical of how the videos are produced (if they are being used). A major complaint raised outside the lectures were the online labs. I accept that the online labs weren’t ideal, but we are redoing the program (again!) and are hoping for a blended system which better connects a mix of on-campus and online sessions. It is of course difficult to truly teach and provide a laboratory experience when you can’t actually get into one!

Additional information

Work, health and safety

We are governed by the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 and Codes of Practice. Penalties for non-compliance have increased. Everyone has a responsibility for health and safety at work. The University’s Work Health and Safety policy explains the responsibilities and expectations of workers and others, and the procedures for managing WHS risks associated with University activities.

General Laboratory Safety Rules

No eating or drinking is allowed in any laboratory under any circumstances
A laboratory coat and closed-toe shoes are mandatory
Follow safety instructions in your manual and posted in laboratories
In case of fire, follow instructions posted outside the laboratory door
First aid kits, eye wash and fire extinguishers are located in or immediately outside each laboratory
As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that you have a current tetanus immunisation. This can be obtained from University Health Service.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

CHEM1111: Chemistry 1A

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect