Spring 2007

Administrative Information

Class meets: MWF 10:10-11:05am in ST 129
Class Text: Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach by Donald McQuarrie and John Simon
Class web site: http://home.sandiego.edu/~jkua/chem312spr07.html

Instructor: Dr. Jeremy Kua
Office: ST 381
Phone: (619) 260-7970
E-mail:
Office hours: Mon 1:30-3pm, Tue 2:30-4pm, Wed noon-1pm, Thu 11am-noon

Course goals: To understand and apply thermodynamics and kinetics to chemistry. This course will begin with the study of gases as an example of how microscopic properties relate to macroscopic properties. It will then cover the first three laws of thermodynamics, free energy, and kinetics (in brief).

Course requirements:
1. There will be three in-class exams and one Final Exam. There will be problem sets most non-exam weeks composed of a mixture of assigned questions both from the text and from me.

2. A good grasp of calculus is important for understanding the material and completing the problem sets and exams. It is your responsibility to refamiliarize yourself with your calculus text if you need a refresher.

3a. Collaboration is allowed on problem sets but each student must write up their own work. I am not as interested in whether you got the right answer but how you arrived at your answer. Intermediate steps must be shown.
3b. There will be NO collaboration on any exam.

4a. Grade breakdown is as follows:
                8 Problem Sets @ 2% each      16%
                3 Exams @ 17% each              51%
                Final Exam                               33%
4b. Tentative Grading Scale (subject to change by the instructor at any time)
                A        85-100%
                B        70-84%
                C        55-69%
                D        40-54%
                F           0-39%
Appended + and - will approximately constitute 3% widths at either end of the scale for A-D grades.

5a. Late problem sets will receive no credit (although I will go through your answers with comments).
5b. There are no make-up exams. If you have a very good reason for missing an exam you have to let me know beforehand or as soon as possible. If I judge the reason to be valid and you did let me know beforehand or ASAP, an alternative will be available (probably in the form of an oral exam where I ask you anything I would have expected you to know on the exam).

6. Students are most welcome to come in during office hours. Outside of my office hours, if I'm in my office and not swamped with work, I will be happy to answer questions and discuss coursework. Most of the time, if I'm in my office and the door is open, you're welcome to stop by. I check my e-mail reasonably often during working hours so you can contact me that way too. (Don't expect replies on weekends and evenings.)

7. All students are expected to adhere strictly to the Academic Integrity policy. Violations will be dealt with through the Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, in accordance with the University of San Diego policy on academic integrity.

Approximate associated chapters/sections of the text are in parenthesis.
Blank lines delimit separate weeks.

Section I. Gases: Bridging Microworld and Macroworld
29 Jan    Introduction
Section I.1: Physical Properties of Gases (16, 27.1)
              Ideal Gases and their Properties
31 Jan    Deviations from Ideal Gas Law, Critical Phenomena
02 Feb    Two-parameter Equations of State to describe Real Gases

05 Feb    Pairwise intermolecular interactions
Section I.2: Energies of Collections of Molecules (17,18)
07 Feb    Energies in the Atomic/Molecular World
               Degrees of freedom, molecular motion, level spacings
09 Feb    Energies of Collections of Molecules
               Thermal Energy, Distributions

12 Feb    Derivation of the Boltzmann distribution
14 Feb    Partition Functions and Thermal Energy
16 Feb    Translation partition function

19 Feb    Rotation and vibration partition functions
21 Feb    Heat Capacities
23 Feb    Exam #1

Section II. Thermodynamics
Section II.1: Energy and the First Law of Thermodynamics (19)
26 Feb    First Law and Conservation of Energy
28 Feb    Enthalpy and chemical reactions
                Standard enthalpies of formation
02 Mar    Heat capacity

05 Mar    Isothermal Processes
                Heat and Work
07 Mar    Adiabatic Processes
09 Mar    Molecular Basis of Thermal Energy

12 Mar    Energies: Bonds, Crystals, Aqueous ions
Section II.2: Entropy and the Second and Third Laws of Thermodynamics (20,21)
14 Mar    Second Law and Entropy
16 Mar    Carnot Cycles

19 Mar    Entropy and Spontaneity
21 Mar    Third Law and Zero Temperature
23 Mar    Molecular Basis of Entropy

26 Mar    Molecular Basis of Entropy (ctd)
               Trouton's Rule
28 Mar    Exam #2
30 Mar    Special Topic: Entropy and Time

Section II.3: Free Energy and Chemical Equilibria in Gases (22)
11 Apr    Free Energy: property, spontaneity
               Relationship of Free Energy and Mechanical Energy
13 Apr    Standard Free energies of Formation
               Free Energy and Pressure

16 Apr    Free Energy and the Equilibrium constant
                Free Energy and Temperature
18 Apr    Equilibria and Distributions
20 Apr    Fugacity
               Free Energy of Real Gases

23 Apr    Interrelating Thermodynamic Properties
               Maxwell's Equations

Section II.4: Applications of Thermodynamics (24,25)
25 Apr    Ideal Mixtures
27 Apr    Raoult's Law

30 Apr    Solutions
02 May   Exam #3
Section III: Kinetics (selections from 27-29)
04 May   Kinetic Molecular Theory, Molecular Collisions

07 May   Rate Laws
09 May   Reaction Rates and Equilibria
11 May   Reaction Mechanisms

14 May   Unimolecular Gas Phase Reactions

Final Exam is 11am-1pm on Mon, May 21.