Chemistry 2 (CHEM1200)

Course overview

This course builds on concepts that have been introduced in CHEM1100 (Chemistry 1) thereby developing the knowledge and understanding across inorganic, physical and organic chemistry necessary for advancement to the higher levels of study in chemistry, biochemistry and engineering courses. Core topics include: reaction profiles and kinetics, structure, reactivity and mechanisms, organic functional group chemistry, structural determination, acid and base chemistry and transition metal chemistry. This course is recommended for all students in the following programs: BSc, B Biomedical Science, B Biotechnology, B Engineering and B Occupational Health and Safety Science. Summer Semester Quota of 175. Preference will be given to 2nd or 3rd year students who are required to complete CHEM2050, CHEM2054 or BIOC2000 in the following semester 1 as part of their program and/or major progressions. Enrol through mySI-net.

This course provides an introduction to Chemistry as a molecular science and builds on the material presented in CHEM1100.ﾠ It begins with an introduction to chemical kinetics and reactivity.ﾠ This section discusses in a quantitative way the reaction kinetics of chemical species.ﾠ The section on acids and bases expands on the acid-base chemistry from CHEM1100 and explores the applications of that knowledge to buffer systems which are fundamental to ﾠmany areas of biology and chemistry and also investigates the molecular basis for relative acid and base strengths.

This knowledge is ﾠthen utilised to further develop the ﾠstructures and reactivities of organic molecules. These are, as you will recall from CHEM1100, ﾠcompounds of carbon and are the building blocks from which all life is made.ﾠ The course explores the implications of the three dimensional shape of molecules, their stereochemistry, with an introduction to the various reaction mechanisms possible for organic reactions.ﾠ The reactivity of a variety of organic molecules is discussed. This is followed by an introduction to spectroscopy including Mass Spectrometry (MS) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).ﾠﾠ The chemistry of carbonyl compounds will be explored.ﾠ

The final module ﾠintroduces transition metal chemistry, a hitherto unexplored area of the periodic table in this course. The topic covers ﾠthe three dimensional and electronic structure of this extremely fascinating group of colourful and biologically important molecules.ﾠ For successful understanding of material to be delivered in CHEM1200, you are STRONGLY advised to revise your CHEM1100 notes and be familiar with the concepts taught in that course.

Course email addresses

There are two email addresses for enquiries relating to this course:

Practical enquiries: For enquiries relating to the laboratory practical component, use chem1prac.scmb@enquire.uq.edu.au.

Other enquiries: For any other enquiries, use chem1.scmb@enquire.uq.edu.au.

Course requirements

Assumed background

CHEM1100ﾠor equivalent. Students who do not have this background should not attempt this course, but should, instead, enrol in CHEM1100.

Enrolling in both CHEM1100 and CHEM1200 in the same semester is NOT recommended.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

CHEM1100

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

CHEM1221, CHEM1222, CHEM1010, CHEM1020, CHEM1021, CHEM1022

Restrictions

Summer Semester Quota of 175.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

The timetable link above should be checked regularly for timetable changes particularly at the beginning of semester.

CHEM1200 operates in blended-mode over summer. This means that you will engage in both in-person, on-campus learning activities and online learning. For in-person learning, you will come to the St Lucia campus for timetabled workshops, guided study sessions, and laboratory practicals. Please check Blackboard and your timetables for details about the dates and times of classes.

Aims and outcomes

This course will continue and expand on the topics covered in CHEM1100.ﾠﾠStudents will gain a furtherﾠunderstanding of theﾠcontent as listedﾠin the course goals.ﾠ Also, they will become more familiar with approaching science at a molecular level by gainingﾠan understanding of reactivity (kinetics), by developing further their knowledge and understanding of Organic chemistry, and utilise knowledge of acid base chemistry in the understanding of the chemistry of buffer systems and, finally, students will be introduced to the topic of Transition Metal chemistry.ﾠTheseﾠconcepts will provideﾠfurther strength to the foundations of a molecular toolbox that will serve them in any future attempt to understand science at a molecular level.

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Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Chemical understanding and literacy quizzes

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Quiz

Weight

20%

Due date

Quiz 1 8/12/2025 - 15/12/2025

Quiz 2 15/12/2025 - 22/12/2025

Quiz 3 22/12/2025 - 5/01/2026

Quiz 4 5/01/2026 - 12/01/2026

Quiz 5 12/01/2026 - 19/01/2026

Quiz 6 19/01/2026 - 23/01/2026

Quiz 7 27/01/2026 - 27/01/2026

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Submission guidelines

The online quizzes will be submitted on Blackboard during the times listed above under "Task description".

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Discretionary extensions are not available for this task.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Applications for extension

Extension applications must be received no later than 24 hours after the published assessment due date and time.

Read the information contained in the following links carefully before submitting an application for extension to assessment due date.

For guidance on applying for an extension, information is available here.

For the policy relating to extensions, information is available here (Part D).

Information on medical certificates

Please note the University's requirements for medical certificates here.

Five Practicals

• Hurdle
• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Practical/ Demonstration

Weight

25%

Due date

19/01/2026 - 23/01/2026

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

See "Additional assessment information" for instructions on what to do if you miss a practical session.

End of Semester Examination

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

55%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

7/02/2026 - 14/02/2026

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Assessment Hurdles

In order to pass this course, you must meet ALL of the following requirements (if you do not meet these requirements, the maximum grade you will receive will be a 3):

1.      You must obtain an overall mark of 40% or more on the end of semester exam.

2.      You must complete 100% of the laboratory component of the course.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Laboratory Practical Sessions

In order to pass this course you must attend 100% of the laboratory practical sessions including the induction session. You must attend these sessions on the dates you have been assigned to.

What should I do if I cannot attend my timetabled laboratory practical?

If you are unable to attend your timetabled practical session because of circumstances beyond your control (e.g., illness) you must email chem1prac.scmb@enquire.uq.edu.au immediately to request a reschedule. It is your responsibility to organise a reschedule, do not wait for an email. ﾠDo not delay rescheduling your practical session as soon as you become aware that you cannot attend your timetabled laboratory practical.ﾠﾠ

Reschedules with documentation

Reschedules will only occur in very exceptional circumstances and valid documentation will be required to be submitted as proof to gain a reschedule:

Reason

Examples of Supporting Documentation

ACCIDENT

Accident, not involving medical injury

Police report; ﾠreport or document from an automotive road service (e.g. RACQ) or from an authorised vehicle mechanic.

ATHLETE

Registered Elite Athlete Sporting Event

Letter from sporting body confirming selection and setting out dates of sporting commitments; itinerary.

DEATH

Death / bereavement

Death notice, funeral notice, and evidence of relationship. Where appropriate, confirmation of relationship is required (e.g. statutory declaration, birth certificate). ﾠPlease note a medical certificate is not appropriate if you are applying because you are bereaved.

FAMILY

Serious illness of a family member or close relative

Statement from medical practitioner confirming medical status of patient, relationship to student, and relevant dates.

MEDICAL

Medical grounds

Medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner, registered pharmacist or registered nurse.

PERSONAL

Significant personal problems

Statement from counsellor / psychiatrist / psychologist detailing impact on patient;ﾠpolice report or a statement from a relevant authority.

TRANSPORT

Major transport or traffic delay

Evidence from websites (e.g. Translink, Queensland Police, news websites) that outlines the nature of the event, including the date and time of the event.

Please note:ﾠ Personal statements will not be accepted as supporting documentation.

If you are aware of any future event that may impact on your laboratory practical attendance during semester please advise us as soon as you become aware of this by emailing ﾠchem1prac.scmb@enquire.uq.edu.au

Reschedules without documentation

First reschedule - 30% loss of available marks

Second reschedule of same experiment - 90% loss of available marks

First reschedule plus a second reschedule (different experiments) - 30% loss of available marks for first experiment; 60% loss of available marks for second experiment

No third reschedule possible

Failure to complete 100% experiments will result in failure of hurdle and consequently failure of the course.

Students who miss a laboratory practical session and do not reschedule this session will be advised to withdraw from the course.

Assessment Submission

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the on time, correct and complete submission of all assessment items.

Please ensure you receive and save the submission confirmation for all submitted items, you may be asked to produce this as evidence of your submission.

Turnitin

By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment”.

All students must ensure they receive their Turnitin receipt on submission of any assessments. A valid Turnitin receipt will be the only evidence accepted if one or more of your submissions are missing. Without evidence, the assessment will receive the standard late penalty, or after seven days, will receive zero. In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.

Assessment/Attendance

Please notify your Course Coordinator as soon as you become aware of any issue that may affect your ability to meet the assessment/attendance requirements of the course. The my.UQ website and the Electronic Course Profile (ECP) for your course also provide information about your course requirements, the rules associated with your courses and services offered by the University.

A note for repeating students in this course

Any student who enrols in a course must not be given exemption or partial credit from their previous attempt(s) for any individual piece of assessment. Instead, the student must successfully complete all of the learning activities and assessment items within the study period of enrolment (PPL Assessment - Procedures Section: Assessment integrity).

If the same assessment item is set from one year to the next, repeating students are allowed to submit the same work they submitted in previous attempts at the course. Where possible SCMB recommends that you use the feedback you received in your last attempt to improve parts of the item where you lost marks. Resubmission of an altered or unaltered assessment item by a repeating student (where the same assessment has been set) will not be considered as self-plagiarism.

Important Note

Turnitin is to be used for assignments/laboratory reports to check for plagiarism. Penalties can be severe for plagiarism.

The University has adopted the following definition of plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of misrepresenting as one's own original work the ideas, interpretations, words or creative works of another either intentionally or unintentionally. These include published and unpublished documents, designs, music, sounds, images, photographs, computer codes and ideas gained through working in a group. These ideas, interpretations, words or works may be found in print and/or electronic media.

Students are encouraged to read the UQ Academic Integrity and Plagiarism policy.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Blackboard site

The CHEM1200 Blackboard site can be found at learn.uq.edu.au

The course Blackboard site is a substantial resource and it is strongly recommended that students keep up-to-date with frequent checks of the Blackboard site. The course coordinators will NOT answer e-mails related to information readily accessible by students on Blackboard.

In-Semester Examination not offered

There is no in-semester examination.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Additional learning activity information

Please note that you are expected to have completed all 6 modules of online learning by the end of Week 6. You are strongly advised to complete each module in less than one week. This is because (i) some weeks of semester are shortened due to public holidays, and (ii) the modules are not equal in size (Module 5, in particular, is large). Guidelines about how to schedule your study will be provided in class.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
• AI for Assessment Guide

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:

• Occupational Health and Safety in the Laboratory Guideline