Outline

Overview

Chemistry transforms the way we live. It provides the basis for understanding biological, geological and atmospheric processes, how medicines work, the properties of materials and substances, how beer is brewed, and for obtaining forensic evidence. This unit of study builds upon your prior knowledge of chemistry to further develop your knowledge and skills in chemistry for broad application. You will learn about organic chemistry reactions, structural determination, nitrogen chemistry, industrial processes, kinetics, electrochemistry, thermochemistry, phase behaviour, solubility equilibrium and chemistry of metals. You will further develop experimental design, conduct and analysis skills in chemistry through experiments that ask and answer questions about the chemical nature and processes occurring around you. Through enquiry, observation and measurement, you will better understand natural and physical world and will be able to apply this understanding to real-world problems and solutions. Fundamentals of Chemistry 1B is built on a satisfactory prior knowledge of Fundamentals of Chemistry 1A. Compared to the mainstream Chemistry 1B, the theory component of this unit begins with more fundamental concepts, and does not cover, or goes into less detail about some topics. Progression to intermediate chemistry from this unit requires completion of an online supplementary course.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Chemistry Academic Operations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	CHEM1011 or CHEM1111 or CHEM1911 or CHEM1991 or CHEM1101 or CHEM1901 or CHEM1903
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	CHEM1002 or CHEM1102 or CHEM1902 or CHEM1904 or CHEM1108 or CHEM1112 or CHEM1912 or CHEM1992
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

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

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 2 September 2024

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Final Supervised Exam More information below the assessment table. This assessment is compulsory.	45%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Pre-laboratory quizzes Open book online Canvas quizzes covering laboratory theory and safety	4%	Multiple weeks	15-30 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Laboratory methods Laboratory techniques assessed during lab and record keeping in a logbook.	11%	Multiple weeks	1-2 pages per lab and in-class tasks
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Early Feedback Task Online quiz based on the pre- and in- workshop content #earlyfeedbacktask	2%	Week 03 Due date: 16 Aug 2024 at 17:00	~20 min, 1 attempt only in class
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Spectroscopy Assignment 1x untimed canvas quiz focusing on spectroscopy topic	10%	Week 04 Due date: 25 Aug 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 25 Aug 2024	1x canvas quizzes, 2 weeks to complete
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Major post-laboratory assignment Either a lab report, a research poster, 3D modeling w/ synopsis, or a talk	10%	Week 09 Due date: 29 Sep 2024 at 23:59 Closing date: 09 Oct 2024	Varied
Outcomes assessed:
Small continuous assessment	Tutorial quizzes Canvas based quizzes based on the pre- and in- tutorial content	18%	Weekly	~20 min each, 1 attempt only in class
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

Theory

Early Feedback Task: Weekly online quiz in the week 3 tutorials. This quiz is designed to help you develop your understanding of key topics and to give you continuous feedback. This quiz will only be available during the workshop with a 20-minute time limit.
Weekly Tutorial Quizzes: Weekly online quizzes starting in week 4 covering the topics in the course. These quizzes are designed to help you develop your understanding of key topics and to give you continuous feedback. Each quiz will only be available during the weekly tutorials with a 20-minute time limit. Out of the 10 quizzes, the top 9 will be used to calculate the final grade contribution.
Spectroscopy Problem Solving Assignment: An online research task based on workshops in the tutorials involving structure determination of organic molecules from IR, UV and NMR spectroscopy. The structure determination section is only assessed through this assignment: it is not re-assessed in the final examination.
Examination: The final examination covers the whole of the lecture course and is made up of a mixture of multiple-choice and short answer questions. No laboratory work, nor the spectroscopy topic, is examinable.
- Failure to submit or attend compulsory assessment tasks, such as this exam, will result in an Absent Fail (AF) for the unit.
- If a second replacement exam is required, this exam may be delivered via an alternative assessment method, such as a viva voce (oral exam). The alternative assessment will meet the same learning outcomes as the original exam. The format of the alternative assessment will be determined by the unit coordinator.

Laboratory

The laboratory classes are compulsory, and the laboratory methods assessment must be passed for the unit to be passed. NB: Passing the laboratory methods assessment requires an overall pass mark on the combined lab books and competency tasks, but does not require each individual component to be passed. Apply for special consideration if you miss a lab class due to exceptional circumstances such as illness, injury or misadventure.
Pre-Laboratory Quizzes: Available under the Laboratory Program Canvas site. Note that these quizzes must be completed before you arrive to complete a given experiment. Your highest eight quizzes will be counted towards your final grade.
Laboratory methods: This assessment is comprised of two components:
- Laboratory Log Book: The logbook is a record of observations and hypotheses. There are nine logbooks to complete with the top seven counting towards your final grade.
- In-laboratory skills: Key laboratory skills completed and assessed during the laboratory sessions. Students will also be assessed on their design of a kinetics experiment based on the iodine clock reaction. Consideration should also be given to safety, cleanliness, and timeliness.
Major post-laboratory assignment: Will consist of one of four diverse assessments including:
- a scientific report (you will describe what you set out to do, what you did, what you observed, what results you got, and what conclusions you drew),
- a research poster (aimed at a research audience and should present some (or all) of the experiments that you performed in the lab including some of the data generated.),
- 3D modeling with a synopsis (design molecules to be printed by a 3D printer accompanied by a short synopsis outlining molecular relevance), or,
- a talk (one-on-one talk in week 8 with a demonstrator discussing organic mechanisms and synthetic techniques).

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
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

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. Online quizzes submitted after the due date and time will result in a zero mark.

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.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

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 (24 hr)
Week 01	Recap (Organic chemistry and thermochemistry/equilibria) + Mass Spectroscopy (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 02	Stereochemistry and spectroscopy (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 03	Kinetics (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 04	Organic chemistry: Introduction, acid-base and substitution reactions (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 05	Organic chemistry: Elimination and electrophilic addition reactions (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 06	Organic chemistry: Nucleophilic Addition, Oxidation/reduction and Acyl derivatives (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 07	Thermodynamics recap, entropy and gas laws (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 08	Intermolecular Forces and Phase Diagrams (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 09	Electrochemistry (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 10	Electrochemistry continued (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 11	Metals in solution (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 12	Metals in solution continued (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)
Week 13	Solid packing (includes 2 hours of pre-work OR in-class lecture)	Lecture and tutorial (4 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Laboratory classes are compulsory, and laboratory assessments must be passed for the unit to be passed. Apply for special consideration if you miss a lab class due to exceptional circumstances such as illness, injury or misadventure.

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 the concepts, language and symbolism of organic and inorganic chemistry
LO2. understand organic and inorganic transformations, how they relate to structure and how they can be manipulated
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. gain 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.

This unit will be offering BOTH in-person and online content delivery options. This should help students decide which methods works best for them.

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: unihealth.usyd.edu.au/

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

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

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

CHEM1012: Fundamentals of Chemistry 1B

Semester 2, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

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