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CHEM00010

Academic Year 2024/2025

Introductory Chemistry (CHEM00010)

Subject:
Chemistry
College:
Science
School:
Chemistry
Level:
0 (Foundation/ Access)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Tony Keene
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Blended
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

The module can only be taken by students without a strong background in Chemistry at second level. It is a pre-requisite for such students who plan to pursue any programme in Chemistry or Biology, but may also be taken as elective by students with an interest in learning the basic principles of chemistry. It will provide an overview of the subject, with an emphasis on fundamental principles and on understanding the structures and properties of familiar substances. Topics will include: atomic structure and the periodic table; chemical bonding; shapes of covalent compounds; Lewis structures; chemical reactions, including balancing chemical equations, calculating chemical amounts as moles; oxidation and reduction reactions and acid base reactions; the properties and structures of carbon compounds. The principles will be illustrated by examples of the chemistry of common elements including nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals and the halogens.


About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:

Describe the nuclear and electronic structure of atoms.
Describe the bonding between atoms in polyatomic substances.
Account for the chemical and physical properties of compounds in terms of their structures.
Balance chemical equations and carry out stoichiometry calculations.
Identify simple organic compounds and predict their chemical properties.
Carry out simple laboratory procedures safely.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

24

Autonomous Student Learning

48

Lectures

24

Tutorial

5

Laboratories

6

Total

107


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures, including in-class activities such as problem solving and small-group discussions.
Problem solving in interactive tutorials.
Independent learning in advance of lectures and, particularly, laboratory classes.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Exclusions:

Students in the Science Programme with Grade H5 or above in Leaving Certificate Chemistry Higher Level, or Grade O1 in Leaving Certificate Chemistry Ordinary Level, or equivalent, are excluded from taking CHEM00010.

Learning Recommendations:

Students enrolled in Programmes other than Science who have Grade H5 or above in Leaving Certificate Chemistry Higher Level, or Grade O1 in Leaving Certificate Chemistry Ordinary Level, or equivalent, are recommended to take CHEM10040 (The Molecular World) and not CHEM00010.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
BIOC00010 - Chemistry-Biochemistry, CHEM00020 - Introductory Chemistry (Ag), CHEM10030 - Chemistry for Engineers, CHEM10040 - The Molecular World, CHEM10130 - Applied Intro. & Phys Chem

Additional Information:
Students that have completed CHEM 10050 should not register for this module.

Equivalents:
Introductory Chemistry (CHEM0901)


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Exam (Online): An in-person online Brightspace exam lasting two hours. Students will be allowed to access the lecture notes on Brightspace, but no other material may be used except that provided in the hall. End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
Graded No
45
No
Practical Skills Assessment: 4 lab experiments and report submissions. Report submission is 9 pm of the day after the lab session. Week 5, Week 7, Week 9, Week 11 Graded No
20
No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Five tutorials - an at-home Brightspace quiz followed by an in-person session with a tutor. Please note, the weeks indicated here are the weeks of the in-person session - the quiz will be set the week Week 4, Week 6, Week 8, Week 10, Week 12 Graded No
20
No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: In-class MCQ test. This test will be a Brightspace quiz on content from the first half of the course. Week 6 Graded No
15
No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on laboratory reports will be provided when the report is returned at the start of the next laboratory class. Feedback on tutorial assignments will be provided in the tutorials. Whole class feedback will be provided after the midterm MCQ examination.

A free online textbook for general chemistry:
Chemistry: The Central Science (Brown et al.)
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/General_Chemistry/Map%3A_Chemistry_-_The_Central_Science_(Brown_et_al.)

Name Role
Professor Dermot Brougham Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Tony Keene Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Olivia Breen Tutor
Mr Noheem Kadiri Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Thurs 14:00 - 14:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Tues 14:00 - 14:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 2 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Tues 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 3 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Tues 17:00 - 17:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 4 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Wed 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 5 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Wed 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 6 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Wed 17:00 - 17:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 7 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Fri 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 8 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Fri 16:00 - 16:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 9 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Fri 17:00 - 17:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 10 Week(s) - 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Mon 15:00 - 15:50
Autumn Laboratory Offering 1 Week(s) - 5, 7, 9, 11 Tues 15:00 - 17:50
Autumn Laboratory Offering 2 Week(s) - 5, 7, 9, 11 Mon 15:00 - 17:50
Autumn Laboratory Offering 7 Week(s) - 5, 7, 9, 11 Wed 15:00 - 17:50
Autumn Laboratory Offering 13 Week(s) - 5, 7, 9, 11 Fri 15:00 - 17:50