CHEM11044 - Chemical Reactions

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit will provide you with an understanding of the fundamental principles of chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, redox chemistry, equilibrium, pH, basic spectroscopy and organic reactions and mechanisms. You will learn about reactions and how they can be manipulated. You will be introduced to a range of chemical calculations involving rates, cell potentials, equilibrium constants, and pH, as well as techniques for analysing spectral data for chemical structure determination. This unit will provide a strong foundation for further studies in analytical and materials sciences, physical and organic chemistry. This unit has a compulsory residential school. These laboratory sessions will emphasise laboratory safety and compliance, and introduce you to skills relating to sample preparation, data collection, synthesis, spectroscopic analyses and 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

Prerequisite: CHEM11043 Atoms, Molecules and Matter

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 3 - 2024

Term 2 - 2025 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. Written Assessment 20%
2. Practical Assessment 30%
3. 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 2 - 2024 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 28.57% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 36.84% 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
A student commented that this unit is great at delivering content in a way that is better understood than the textbooks themselves and is well supported with an online study mode. The student stated they would recommend this unit to anyone who wants to further their understanding of chemical reactions.
Recommendation
I recommend that the teaching team continues with its good efforts in learning, teaching, assessment to maintain positive feedback from our students.
Action Taken
The Unit Coordinator and the teaching team put forth their best efforts to deliver this unit effectively and maintain positive feedback from students.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students commented that the staff were very patient, friendly, encouraging and showed great enthusiasm for the content during the residential school. The coordinator and lab techs were complimented on their skill, knowledgeable and assistance with both coursework and residential school tasks.
Recommendation
I recommend that the residential school staff and teaching team continues with their great support for our students during the residential school.
Action Taken
The residential school staff and teaching team continued to provide exceptional support to students during the residential school.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students commented that the unit helped them to improve their understanding of chemistry accurately.
Recommendation
I recommend that the teaching team continue their teaching efforts and implement any further improvements in learning, teaching, assessment wherever possible.
Action Taken
The Unit Coordinator and teaching team continued to explore new teaching methods to assist students in their studies, recognising that chemistry can be a challenging subject to learn.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students suggested updating the laboratory manual for clearer instructions and calculations.
Recommendation
I recommend that the teaching team update the laboratory manual, incorporating simple language and providing clear requirements for calculations.
Action Taken
The teaching team and Unit Coordinator collaborated closely to update the laboratory manual, resulting in a revised version being implemented this year.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students suggested that more staff be available during the residential school to effectively address their specific questions, given the limited time available.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Unit Coordinator discuss the students' suggestions with the Head of Course to seek further clarification and advice regarding the required number of students per teaching staff during the residential school, to ensure we provide sufficient support to students.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students suggested that the recorded lectures need to be refreshed and updated.
Recommendation
It is suggested that the Unit Coordinator discuss students' suggestions with the Head of Course to seek further advice and assistance in organising a suitable time or schedule to refresh the recorded lectures and to address the rearrangement of teaching content over the 12 weeks.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

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

  1. Apply concepts of kinetics, thermodynamics and redox chemistry
  2. Use critical reasoning to apply chemical theories to reactions
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of equilibrium and acid / base chemistry
  4. Synthesise organic compounds and examine these for purity
  5. Interpret a range of spectra and use these to identify compounds
  6. Demonstrate competency in experimental techniques and lab safety, data generation, analysis and report writing.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Written Assessment • •
2 - Practical Assessment • • •
3 - 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
1 - Communication • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • •
4 - Information Literacy •
5 - Team Work • •
6 - Information Technology Competence •
8 - Ethical practice • •
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