CHEM 1201 - Foundations of Chemistry IB

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2025

The knowledge and skills acquired in Foundations of Chemistry IB provide a strong foundation for future studies in chemistry and chemistry-related fields, including biological and environmental sciences, healthcare and engineering. It provides students with a strong foundation for pursuing careers in research or industry, where their understanding of chemical principles and laboratory techniques will be highly valued. Foundations of Chemistry IB course is designed for students seeking a solid foundation in chemistry, whether as a core requirement or a general elective. It accommodates students from various academic programs who are eager to develop a thorough understanding of chemical principles and their real-world applications. The course content is designed to build upon the knowledge gained in Foundations of Chemistry IA. Upon completion of Foundations of Chemistry IB, students will understand redox processes and their application to batteries. Students will gain an understanding of chemical thermodynamics and reaction kinetics and their importance in various scientific fields. In addition, students will develop their knowledge of organic compounds and their importance in materials, medicine and biological processes. Face-to-face on-campus delivery provides opportunities for interactive lectures, hands-on laboratory experiments, and engaging discussions. Collaborative discussions, group work, and problem-solving exercises in workshops will enhance their understanding of key topics and foster a sense of teamwork. Assessments activities may include quizzes, laboratory reports, assignments, and examinations. By successfully completing these assessments, students will demonstrate their ability to apply chemical knowledge to solve problems and communicate scientific ideas effectively.

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Course Details

Course Code	CHEM 1201
Course	Foundations of Chemistry IB
Coordinating Unit	Chemistry
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 7 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	CHEM 1200, CHEM 1520 & CHEM 1521
Assumed Knowledge	CHEM1101
Restrictions	Available only to students with SACE Stage 2 Chemistry Subject Achievement Grade of C+ or greater, or equivalent.
Assessment	Exam, online summative work, practical work, lecture tests

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Sara Krivickas

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

A successful student should be able to:

1. develop critical thinking and problem solving ability;
2. discuss the processes of scientific methodology and collaborative work;
3. systematically name simple organic compounds;
4. recognise the structure and properties of the different classes of organic functional groups;
5. apply knowledge of the structure of the Periodic Table to describe trends in the properties of the elements;
6. recognise reduction/oxidation reactions and balance these equations under acidic conditions;
7. describe and explain the basic principles of chemical thermodynamics;
8. define and discuss the basic principles of reaction kinetics and the factors that affect reaction rates;
9. demonstrate proficiency in common chemistry laboratory techniques.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	3-8
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	1, 9
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	2, 9
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	1, 2
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	1

Learning Resources

Required Resources

Personal Protective Equipment (Practicals)
Laboratory Coat
Safety Glasses

The textbook for Foundations of Chemistry IA/B is 'Chemistry: Core Concepts', 3rd edition, by Blackman, Southam, Lawrie, Williamson, Thompson and Bridgeman (Wiley) and it is recommended that students acquire their own copy.

Recommended Resources

Paul Flowers, Klaus Theopold, Richard Langley, William R. Robinson (2019), Chemistry 2e (Openstax)
This is a free open-source textbook that can be downloaded as a pdf, epub or viewed directly on the web from
Other sources for recommended reading may be provided by lecturers on an as-needed basis.

Online Learning

It is important that all students maintain active communication channels with the Chemistry Discipline throughout the course. The primary communication channels from the Discipline to students are MyUni and email.

The University's online learning management system, MyUni (https://myuni.adelaide.edu.au), will be used to provide students with a variety of learning resources, including (but not limited to) the following:
* Lecture notes
* Lecture recordings
* Workshop questions and solutions
* Computer practical exercises
* Links to summative assignments
* Links to other websites that may assist learning, such as maths help

All learning resources will be provided electronically, and no printed copies will be supplied.

MyUni will also be used on a regular basis to post announcements about assessment deadlines and other information related to the course and to send students emails to their University-provided student email account.
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
This course is delivered by the following means:
- Lectures 36 x 50-minute sessions with three sessions per week
- Workshops 11 x 50-minute sessions with one session per week
- Practical 5 x 3-hour sessions with one session per fortnight
Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).

Learning Activities Summary
The course content includes the following (which build on Foundations of Chemistry IA Modules 1-4):
- Part 5 – Organic chemistry
  
  Nomenclature
  
  Physical properties of organic compounds
  
  Functional groups: alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, carboxylic acids, amines, esters, amides and proteins, polymers (including an introduction to alkenes)
- Part 6 – Energy
  
  Combustion/fuels
  
  Measuring energy changes (including Hess’s Law)
- Part 7 – Redox/periodicity
  
  Metal reactivity/activity series
  
  Oxidation numbers
  
  Acidic/basic oxides
  
  Trends in strength of binary and oxoacids
  
  Balancing redox equations under acidic conditions
- Part 8 – Reaction rates
  
  Introduction to kinetics
  
  Activation barriers
  
  Conditions that affect reaction rates
  
  Reaction profiles
  
  Gaseous reactions and rate
Specific Course Requirements

Attendance is compulsory at all scheduled chemistry practical sessions.

The learning outcomes for this course are substantially dependent on laboratory experience and practice. Therefore, missing any practical class in a semester will result in a grade of FAIL being recorded for the course.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Type of assessment	Percentage of total assessment for grading purposes	Hurdle (Yes/No)	Outcomes being assessed
Online summative assessment	Summative	20%	No	1-8
Lecture tests	Summative	10%	No	1-8
Practical work	Summative	20%	Yes (50%)	1, 2, 9
Examination	Summative	50%	No	1-8
Online practice exercises	Formative	0%	No	1-9

Assessment Related Requirements

The learning outcomes for this course are substantially dependent on laboratory experience and practice. Therefore, practical work is compulsory; this includes attendance, conduct of required experimental work, attendance at demonstrator interviews (as required) and submission of laboratory reports.

Furthermore, students must attain at least 50% for the practical work to pass this course.

Students with medical or compassionate reasons for non-attendance will be given an opportunity to make up missed practical sessions.

Additional assessment will be offered to eligible students who do not meet the practical hurdle requirement.

Assessment Detail

Online summative assignments (20% of final course grade)
Four online summative assignments (each worth a total of 4% of the overall course grade) will be used to assess progressive understanding of course material. Students receive instant feedback on submission.

A further 4% will be derived from workshop preparation. Each workshop will have one question from the set of provided problems assigned for students to complete prior to the session. This question will be marked in class by the workshop leader to provide feedback.

Lecture Tests (10% of final course grade)
There will be two lecture tests each semester, worth 5% each, making up 10% in total of your final grade for the course each semester. Lecture tests will occur around the halfway mark and towards the end of each semester. Lecture tests may consist of multiple choice or numerical answer questions or a combination of these.

Practical work (20% of final course grade)
Practical reports will be handed in fortnightly and promptly assessed to provide continual feedback to students and a sense of progressive accomplishment in the course. All practicals have an associated summative online task that students complete before their laboratory class.

Examination (50% of final course grade)
An end-of-semester written examination will be used to summatively assess understanding of the course material. The examination will consist of a combination of multiple choice/numerical answer questions and short answer questions.

Submission

Submission of Assigned Work
A lab report book will be provided in the first practical session. Before practical reports are submitted, students must ensure they have signed and dated the Plagiarism and Collusion declaration at the front of the report book. Note that report books must not be removed from the laboratory.

Extensions for Assessment Tasks
Extensions of deadlines for assessment tasks may be allowed for reasonable causes. Such situations would include compassionate and medical grounds of the severity that would justify the awarding of a supplementary examination. Evidence for the grounds must be provided when an extension is requested. Students are required to apply for an extension to the Course Coordinator before the assessment task is due. Extensions will not be provided on the grounds of poor prioritising of time. The assessment extension application form can be obtained from:

Late submission of assessments
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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