Course Coordinator:Tianfang Wang (twang@usc.edu.au) School:School of Science, Technology and Engineering
UniSC Sunshine CoastUniSC Moreton Bay |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to unisc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
This introductory course provides the chemical concepts essential for science, engineering and education. You study atomic theory, the Periodic Table, chemical bonding and reactions, electrochemistry, fundamentals of chemical thermodynamics including a general introduction to chemical equilibria, reaction kinetics, and the properties of gases, liquids and solutions. The course also explains the properties of acids and bases, the concept of pH, and buffer systems. An introduction to organic chemistry is provided. You work in teams in the laboratory to investigate chemical concepts.
| Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
| Blended learning | |||
| Learning materials – Learning Materials are available online and delivered asynchronously. Learning Materials consist primarily of formative quizzes and interactive screencasts. Other available materials include simulations and on-line demonstrations. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 12 times |
| Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Tutorials are delivered face-to-face on-campus. Tutorials consist of focus questions and group work. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 6 times |
| Laboratory 1 – Laboratory work is conducted face-to-face on-campus. Each practical session is thematically linked to theoretical material covered in preceding weeks. Students are expected to work in teams during practical sessions. | 3hrs | Week 2 | 6 times |
| Seminar – On campus seminars | 1hr | Week 1 | 3 times |
Atomic Theory, Elements, Law of Conservation of Mass, Symbols and Formulae, Measurement and Moles, Solutions and Molarity, Reactions, Acid-Base Equilibria, Atomic Structure and Electronic Configuration, Shapes of Molecules, Intermolecular Forces, Organic Chemistry, Thermochemistry
100 Level (Introductory)
12 units
| Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | |
| 1 | Demonstrate theoretical knowledge of chemical principles, structure, properties, processes and measurements. | Knowledgeable |
| 2 | Interpret and formulate chemical reactions and structures. |
Creative and critical thinker Empowered |
| 3 | Solve mathematical problems using formulae, significant figures and units. |
Knowledgeable Empowered |
| 4 | Compose a report based on practical work. |
Knowledgeable Empowered |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Not applicable
Not applicable
SCI505
Not applicable
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
| High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
Early and continuing feedback on your progress in the course is provided using each module's self-assessment questions. The mid-trimester and final exams will be based very heavily on these self-assessment questions.
| Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
| All | 1 | Examination - not Centrally Scheduled | Individual | 25% | 60 minutes |
Week 6 | Online Test (Quiz) |
| All | 2 | Quiz/zes | Individual | 15% | 5-10 minutes each |
Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) | Online Test (Quiz) |
| All | 3 | Report | Individual | 20% | 1000-2000 words or as equivalent. See Canvas for details. |
Week 12 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
| All | 4 | Examination - Centrally Scheduled | Individual | 40% | 2 hours |
Exam Period | Exam Venue |
| All - Assessment Task 1:Mid-Trimester Exam | |||||||
| Goal: | Apply your conceptual knowledge of chemical principles and use your problem-solving abilities. |
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| Product: | Examination - not Centrally Scheduled | ||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||
| Format: | 60 minutes, mixed question type exam |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Problem solving |
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| All - Assessment Task 2:Laboratory Quizzes | |||||||
| Goal: | Demonstrate your theoretical knowledge underpinning laboratory chemistry. |
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| Product: | Quiz/zes | ||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||
| Format: | Six (6) on-line quizzes (10 min. each) based on laboratory work (Weeks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12). |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Problem solving |
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| All - Assessment Task 3:Scientific Report | |||||||
| Goal: | You use experimental data to develop a scientific report. |
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| Product: | Report | ||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||
| Format: | One report. Further guidance about what is required, is available in the assessment section of Canvas. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication |
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| All - Assessment Task 4:Final examination | |||||||||||||
| Goal: | Demonstrate your theoretical knowledge of chemical principles gained throughout the trimester. |
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| Product: | Examination - Centrally Scheduled | ||||||||||||
| Authorship Statement: | |||||||||||||
| Format: | Multiple choice, short and extended answer exam based on materials from learning materials,tutorials and laboratory activities. |
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| Criteria: |
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| Generic Skills: | Communication, Problem solving, Applying technologies |
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A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
| Period and Topic | Activities |
n/a |
n/a |
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
You need regular access to the resource(s) below. Many texts are available as ebooks through the Library at no additional cost.
| Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
| Required | Paul Flowers et al | 2019 | Chemistry 2e NOTE: This textbook is licensed under a Creative Commons licence and is freely available on-line. Information about how to access the textbook is on Canvas in 'Getting started' | 2nd edn | OpenStax, Chemistry. OpenStax CNX. 14 Feb 2019 http://cnx.org/contents/85abf193-2bd2-4908-8563-90b8a7ac8df6@9.524 |
Attendance at the face-to-face laboratory sessions requires you to complete the laboratory induction process and bring your own safety glasses, lab coat and covered footwear.
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching
UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.
For course-specific questions, contact your teaching staff or Course Coordinator.
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