General Chemistry A

The University has strict guidelines regarding ‘dishonest practice’ and ‘breach of instructions’ in relation to the completion and submission of examinable material. In cases where dishonest practice or breach of instructions is involved in tests or other work submitted for credit a department may (i) decline to award a grade, or (ii) deduct marks; or (iii) resolve the matter in any other appropriate way (p 49 and 50 of the 2012 UC Calendar under the regulation J).  

The Department of Chemistry upholds this policy. It considers plagiarism, collusion, copying, and ghost writing to be unacceptable and dishonest practices.

Attendance at laboratory classes:  You are expected to attend every laboratory session and problems workshop. A satisfactory record of attendance and performance at laboratory classes is a condition for obtaining a pass in the course.  Students who are unable to attend their lab in a particular week because of an unavoidable commitment should, in the first instance, contact Dr Jan Wikaira (Room 649, jan.wikaira@canterbury.ac.nz) and attempt to arrange attendance at one of the other times during the same week. (Note that you cannot make up the missing lab the following week).

Absences due to illness will be excused, provided a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner, registered dental surgeon, registered midwife or student counsellor is presented at the next lab attended.

Absences due to bereavement (the death of a family member or close friend) will be excused, provided a copy of the death notice is produced.

Unexcused absences may constitute an unsatisfactory record and result in you failing the laboratory requirement and hence CHEM 111.   At the very least, you will be assigned a mark of zero for the experiment, which will degrade your final mark.

Exemptions: Students who are repeating the course may, on the basis of their level of performance in the laboratory in a previous year, be exempted from attending laboratories.  Students who wish to apply for an exemption should contact Prof Bryce Williamson (Room 730 or, preferably by e-mail bryce.williamson@canterbury.ac.nz by the end of the second week of the Semester.  You must obtain formal exemption from the lab course.

Description: This course deals with a series of topics in physical and inorganic chemistry and is a prerequisite for those wishing to proceed to a BSc majoring in Chemistry or majoring in other subjects while including advanced Chemistry courses.  This course also meets the chemistry requirement for entry into the BE(Hons) degree.

Goal of the Course: To provide a solid foundation in basic principles of physical chemistry and related areas.

Learning Outcomes
Develop skills in the critical analysis of chemical information
Develop problem-solving skills in chemistry
Enhance applied mathematical skills relevant to chemistry
Develop a working understanding of:
• Atomic structure and periodicity
• Chemical bonding and molecular geometry
• Chemical reactions, especially redox reactions
• Quantities and dimensions (IUPAC conventions and SI units)
• Physical models and the properties of gases
• Thermochemistry, including the 1st law of thermodynamics
• Entropy and the 2nd and 3rd laws of Thermodynamics
• Gibbs free energy and its relationship to equilibria
• Chemical kinetics, reaction mechanisms and integrated rate laws
• Equilibria, equilibrium constants and Le Chatelier’s principle
• The chemistry of water and acid-base equilibria