Program Overview

Unit Overview

The unit CHEM113 - Essential Ideas in Chemistry is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in chemistry, emphasizing fundamental concepts that can be applied in various areas of their lives and to their further studies in biochemistry, food science, and human nutrition.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

To be successful in studying and subsequently working within the fields of nutrition or food science, students need to develop their knowledge and understanding of chemistry's core principles. In this unit, students will be taught these principles with topics including atomic structure, chemical bonding, thermodynamics, and equilibrium. The aim of this unit is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of chemistry, focusing on fundamental concepts that they can apply in various areas of their lives and to their further studies.

Campus Offerings

The unit is offered at the following campuses:

• Blacktown
• Melbourne
• North Sydney

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this unit.

Incompatible Units

The following units are incompatible with CHEM113:

• CHEM105 Foundations of Chemistry
• CHEM112 Organic and Food Chemistry
• CHED105 Foundations of Chemistry
• CHED112 Organic and Food Chemistry
• CHED113 Essential Ideas in Chemistry

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe and explain the basic principles of atomic structure, chemical reactions, and bonding, writing chemical formulae, and equilibrium.
2. Apply basic chemical principles to solve chemical problems.
3. Explain the importance of chemistry in daily life and food science-related disciplines.
4. Communicate scientific ideas effectively through written and oral communication.
5. Perform basic laboratory techniques and conduct experiments to reinforce theoretical concepts.

Content

Topics will include:

• Matter and Atomic Structure
• Periodic Table
• Chemical bonding
• Chemical reactions
• Stoichiometry
• Solutions
• Chemical Equilibrium
• Acids, Bases, and Buffers
• Energy and chemical reactions
• Water

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

The assessment strategy for CHEM113 is designed to measure student achievement of the unit learning outcomes, provide regular feedback to students, and assess both practical and theoretical knowledge.

Assessments

1. Chemistry Bridging Course - Ungraded Hurdle: To ensure students have sufficient basic chemistry understanding to commence the unit.
2. Assessment Task 1 - Intra-Semester Quizzes (Summative): Short tests designed to assess unit content regularly through the semester.
3. Assessment Task 2 - Practical Exam (Summative): Allows students to display their understanding of practical chemistry techniques.
4. Assessment Task 3 - Written Examination (2 hrs) (Summative): Assesses material from all content areas.

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

The aim of the learning and teaching strategy for CHEM113 is to provide students with a comprehensive and engaging learning experience. The unit will deliver content through weekly recorded lectures and will be supported by weekly lecture-chat sessions.

Teaching Strategy

• Weekly recorded lectures
• Weekly lecture-chat sessions
• Weekly tutorials
• Practical sessions

Representative Texts and References

• Bettelheim, F. A., Brown, W.H. Campbell, M. K., Farrell, S., & Torres, O.J., (2019). Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry (12th ed.). Thomson Brooks/Cole Publishers.
• Kotz, J.C., Treichel, P.M., Townsend, J. R., Treichel, D. (2018). Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.
• Zumdahl, S.S., & DeCoste, D.J. (2018). Introductory Chemistry: A Foundation (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Unit Details

• Credit Points: 10
• Year: 2025
• Locations: Blacktown, Melbourne, North Sydney