Handbook

This course builds on an elementary knowledge of chemistry (equivalent to one year of high school chemistry, such as Year 11 chemistry, or CHEM1001 at UNSW) to explore the structures of atoms which leads to an understanding of the periodic trends in the properties of the elements. This knowledge is applied to understanding chemical bonding and intermolecular forces which together are responsible for determining the properties of diverse materials including drug molecules. General principles of chemical equilibrium are developed and applied to chemical reactions involving acids and bases. The applications of the laws of thermodynamics to chemical processes are described and ultimately linked to chemical equilibrium. A key part of chemistry is to study the speed of chemical reactions, which will provide a strong foundation for subsequent courses in the program.