CHEM10007: Fundamentals of Chemistry

6 Practicals (20% total), 3 online MSTs (5% each), Exam (65%).

This subject is a really great introduction to Chemistry. As with a lot of introductory science subjects at UoM, they could do more to spark enthusiasm and energy into the content. What we are learning in this subject is actually amazing and awe-inspiring, but you have to look hard for it because it's taught in such a dry way for the most part.

(Some of the next para copied from the handbook:)
Mick started off for about 10 lectures introducing us to the structure of atoms, periodic table, naming compounds, bonding etc.
Penny is a great lecturer and she talks about solubility and the solution state; ions and hydration; the behaviour of gases; the mole concept; concentrations; stoichiometry; acids, bases, neutralisation reactions and salt formation, redox reactions and reaction potentials.
Sonia lectures on acid/base strength and the pH scale; energy and chemical systems; rates of reaction and reaction order; catalysis and enzymes; chemical equilibrium; the equilibrium constant, Ka, Kb, stability constants and solubility products.
Jonathan takes us for organic chemistry (organic molecules: structure, nomenclature and functional groups; and biologically significant macromolecules). It's a pity that Jonathan had to lay so much groundwork in the nomenclature and that kind of drier stuff because organic chemistry is super interesting and I think it will be great in future Chem subjects.

All lecturers were pretty good (I liked Jonathan the best) and if you do a bit of pre-reading to make sure you have an idea of what's coming the lectures are useful and well paced. I had done some pre-study in the holidays leading up to the semester because I am aiming for a 90%+ overall grade so that I can skip to Chemistry 2 without having to take Chemistry 1. I highly recommend this if you are aiming to do the same.

I would highly recommend doing the assigned textbook questions after EVERY lecture starting right from Week 1. It really takes the load off what you need to do in SWOTVAC and makes it much less overwhelming. I stopped doing every question at about week 8 (when organic chemistry started) mostly because the exam timetable was released and our exam is on the last day... so I switched focus to more pressing subjects!

Although some of the pracs weren't that inspiring in themselves (I LOVED two of them though) I had a brilliant and wonderful demonstrator. Some of the demonstrators I encountered in passing though seemed pretty average so I think I got lucky there, hopefully you will too! Pre-writing your pracs really takes a load off when you're under time pressures during the pracs, so make sure you pre-write what you can. You also have to do an online pre-Prac test and hand in a code to show you passed.

The tutes were OK but they were badly synced, if you had a tute early in the week it would cover material that hadn't been lectured on yet, which was annoying for some people. A good argument to do the pre-reading though, even if it's just a quick read through.

None of the concepts in this course are particularly difficult, although a lot of people struggled with electrolysis. Really they are just laying the groundwork and giving you tools with which to tackle more complex chemistry problems further down the track. It is part rote-learn and part problem solving, but the equations are pretty straight forward, you just need to learn how to use them.

The exam was very very fair. Questions are very similar from past exams so if you do all the past exams you'll know what to expect. It is 50% (90 marks) multiple choice and 50% (90 marks) short answer. Really, it was one of the fairest exams I've ever sat. There should be no surprises with this subject. Learn the material, and you'll ace it.
NB. If you perform well in the exam for this subject, you will get an offer to go straight to Chemistry 2. You don't have to accept the offer but it means you avoid Summer Semester. Performing well means > 85%.

Yes, with capture.

Mick Moylan, Penny Commons, Jonathan White, Sonia Horvat.

A few, maybe 4.

5 out of 5

I purchased the recommended Blackman textbook "Chemistry 2nd edition" but ended up just using the library copies for questions and pre-readings.

3 x 1hr lectures per week, 1 x 3hr prac per week, 1 x 1hr tute per week.

Semester 1, 2014.

Will post after results released.

Three 45-minute on-line mid-semester tests (15%); ongoing assessment of practical work throughout the semester (20%); a 3-hour written examination in the examination period (65%). Satisfactory completion of practical work is necessary to pass the subject. Independent learning tasks need to be completed in order to pass the subject. .

Great introductory subject! I thought it was taught incredibly well to those who had not completed VCE Chemistry. I suppose they do move a little fast but after all it's supposed to be VCE chemistry in one semester. I urge any of you who wish to do this subject to regularly attend tutorial sessions, it's just not enough to look at the solutions provided on the LMS, and also go to see the lecturers in the learning lab in the chemistry building (I went there every tuesday 1-2 pm) where Penny Commons answered any questions we were having difficulty with the subject. So this subject aims to introduce the basics of chemistry for example mole calculations, and even though all this stuff has to be taught in one semester they don't just bombard you with all this difficult chemistry, you can easily score well in this subject provided you do the work. So by doing work, I suggest you do the following:

Yes, with screen capture.

Dr. Colette Boskovic, Penelope Commons, Associate Professor Jonathan White.

Plenty available, about 10 or so have solutions (answers only, no fully worked solutions)

4.5 of 5

S S Zumdahl Chemical Principles, 6th Ed, Houghton Mifflin, 2008. Just borrow from the library or get a pdf or something, it's important to do the questions in the textbook after lectures (extra revision besides tutorials).

3 x one hour lectures per week, 6 x three hours of practical activities during semester, 1 x one hour tutorial/workshop sessions per week, 6 hours of computer aided learning during semester, 8 hours of independent learning tasks during semester.

Semester 1, 2012

H1