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.

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.

Feedback from SUTE

The residential school in this unit was very helpful in applying theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.

I recommend that the chemistry teaching team continue to uphold the residential school requirement as part of the unit’s profile.

Feedback from SUTE

Students appreciate all the teaching efforts for this unit and have learned a great deal. Their only constructive feedback is to reduce the number of students per class for the residential schools.

I recommend that the unit coordinator and the chemistry teaching team continue to collaborate with the Head of Course to develop an effective strategy for managing residential school arrangements in the event of increased enrolment. Potential strategies include reducing the maximum capacity of the chemistry laboratory classes from 60 students per class to 50 students per class, providing additional laboratory assistants for larger classes, and scheduling more residential school classes.

Feedback from Direct Email

Some students struggled with certain aspects of chemistry in high school, but the unit coordinator's explanations and the provided resources have been incredibly helpful.

I recommend that the unit coordinator and the chemistry teaching team continue to refresh teaching methods, learning materials, and support students to meet all students' needs and enrich their learning experience in this unit.

Feedback from SUTE

Recorded lectures and tutorial videos need to be updated and refreshed on the Moodle site.

I recommend that the unit coordinator and the chemistry teaching team collaborate with the Head of Course to develop a strategic approach for updating the lecture and tutorial videos as soon as possible.