CH1001:03
Introductory Chemistry A
| Townsville | HECS Band 2 |
39 hours lectures, 12 hours tutorials, 36 hours practicals. Semester 1. Repeated in Semester 2 via approximately 40 hours of self-paced Computer-Aided-Learning modules. The 36 hours practical work will be held in block mode over a period of one week.
Staff: Professor R Keene, Assoc. Professor G Meehan, Dr M Ridd, Dr B McCool.
Atomic structure, Bonding and Periodicity. Chemistry as a central scientific discipline. Atomic and electronic structure. Chemical Periodicity: Chemical bonding and molecular shape. Classification of chemical reactions. Chemical equations. Molar stoichiometry.
Organic Chemistry . Diversity of carbon compounds. Functional groups and nomenclature. Characterisation of pure organic compounds: chromatography; microanalysis, spectroscopy. Structures, properties and typical chemical reactivity of the major classes of organic compounds, isomerism. Introduction to naturally occurring compounds (e.g. lipids, carbohydrates, peptides, proteins) of biological and/or environmental importance will be given by way of illustrative examples.
Physical chemistry . Elementary dimensional analysis. Introductory concepts in quantitative analysis. Gas laws. Fundamentals of chemical thermodynamics, including a general introduction to chemical equilibria. Acid-base equilibria, pH, buffers, carbonate equilibria and the importance of acid base equilibria in industrial, environmental and biological/physiological systems. Chemical kinetics including catalysis.
Learning Objectives:
- have been introduced to basic chemical principles and characteristic chemical reactions;
- appreciate the application and relevance of these principles and reactions to a range of scientific disciplines, including the biological, biomedical, earth and environmental sciences;
- be familiar with, and competent in the application of, simple laboratory techniques in chemistry.
Assessment by laboratory work and reports (30%); a three-hour examination (70%).