School: Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Chemistry for the Life Sciences
  • Unit Code

    SCC1123
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Duncan WILD

Description

This broadly based unit will introduce the student to important chemical concepts and principles. The unit will provide the essential chemistry background required for courses in the biological, environmental and health sciences. A chemistry ATAR background is not assumed.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Develop fundamental chemical laboratory skills and analytical techniques.
  2. Identify and describe applications of chemistry in the life sciences.
  3. Perform calculations relating to Fundamental chemical concepts.
  4. Explain basic concepts, principles and theories in chemistry.

Unit Content

  1. Common aqueous solutions, concentration of solutions; relationship between moles, concentration and volumes of solutions; electrolyte solutions: relationship to conductivity and special properties of water, water salinity and hardness.
  2. Definitions of acids, bases, salts, neutralisation and pH; titrations calculations and importance of buffer solutions; oxidation and reduction in terms of electron transfer, predicting reaction tendencies and introduction to electrochemistry.
  3. Energy changes accompanying chemical reactions, rates of reaction, factors affecting reaction rate; equilibria in chemical reactions and equilibrium processes, factors that influence chemical equilibria (ie. Le Chatelier's principle).
  4. Properties of common gases (ie. oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide) and their biological and industrial importance, gas laws, and atmospheric pollution.
  5. The building blocks of matter: definitions of elements, compounds, mixtures and solutions, molecules and ions; the structure of atom, electron configuration and the periodic table; the mole concept, writing and balancing equations.
  6. Types of chemical bonding, forces between molecules and relationship between bonding and properties.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour labNot Offered13 x 3 hour lab
Semester 113 x 2 hour lectureNot Offered13 x 2 hour lecture
Semester 213 x 3 hour labNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 2 hour lectureNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit introduces students to the foundations of chemistry. The unit uses technology enhanced learning, such as chemical simulations, videos, podcasts and self paced online tutorial support (Online Web Learning) with a mix of lectures and laboratory sessions. The lectures introduce students to chemical theory and concepts and are supported with chemical demonstrations and interactive tools such as audience response system. The laboratory sessions support the theory covered in lectures and provide students with skills in dealing with chemicals, laboratory safety, data collection and analysis. Student participation in laboratory classes is compulsory.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Due to the professional competency skill development associated with this Unit, student attendance/participation within listed in-class activities and/or online activities including discussion boards is compulsory. Students failing to meet participation standards as outlined in the unit information may be awarded an I Grade (Fail - incomplete). Students who are unable to meet this requirement for medical or other reasons must seek the approval of the unit coordinator.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
Exercisee-Tutorials10%
Laboratory WorkLaboratory Experimental Write-ups 30%
TestMid-Semester Test (Short Answer Questions and Calculations)20%
ExaminationEnd of Semester Examination40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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