Overview:
Physical chemistry is the quantitative interpretation of the macroscopic properties of matter informed by a detailed understanding at the atomic and molecular level. Physical chemistry is an exciting field with important connections to topics as diverse as protein folding to the ozone hole to rational drug design and to organic synthesis. Thermodynamics is a subject that quantifies the stability of macroscopic systems, the flow of energy between macroscopic systems, and the ensuing transformations that occur. Critical to thermodynamics is the concept of entropy and the second law of thermodynamics lays out its role in the spontaneity of chemical processes. Thermodynamics can be applied to chemical systems without knowledge of the underlying molecular properties. Physical chemistry unifies the laws of thermodynamics that predict the likelihood of chemical transformations, chemical kinetics that indicate how fast a chemical transformation will occur and adds the insights gained at a molecular level to make solid predictions of the chemistry of matter. In this course, we will study the application of thermodynamics and kinetics to chemical systems providing an important foundation for the understanding of chemical and biochemical systems.
Class Meetings:
M,T,W,F 9:00 AM: Nobel 305
Chemistry seminars: Fridays 3:00 PM
Instructor:
Prof. Rachel Niemer rniemer@gustavus.edu
Nobel 106A
933-7321
Statistical Thermodynamics: HyperChem
Excel Worksheet
Physical Chemistry Forum: PChem Forum You must register but your password is your regular password
Laboratory:
Week 1: Computational Study of Heats of Formation and Combustion
of Hydrocarbons
Week 2: Spectroscopic
and Theoretical Determination of Flame Temperature
Week 3: Computational
and Experimental study of isomerization in NN-dimethylacetamide (DMA) its
derivatives
Week 4-9
Bomb Calorimetry
and Determination of Resonance Energy of Benzene
Determination
of the Heat of Vaporization of Various Liquids
Solution
Kinetics of an SN2 reaction
Kinetics
of a Diffusion Controlled Reaction as Measured by Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Independent Laboratory Investigation: Week 8: Proposal; Week 10+: Investigation
Gustavus
NMR Tips
Photon Energy
Atkins:
Physical Chemistry Web Notes
Exam Solutions:
Fall 2004
Exam 3Take Home Exam 3
Take Home Exam 2
Take Home Exam 2 Mathcad
Fall 2000
Fall 1999
Problem Sets:
Working problems is essential to the mastery of the material in physical chemistry. While discussing problem sets is encouraged, the turned in homework solutions must be your own work.
Fall 1999
Problem Set #2, Problem Set #3, Problem Set #4 , Problem Set #5, Problem Set #6, Problem Set #7, Problem Set #8
Problem Set #9 Problem Set #10 Problem Set #11 Problem Set #12 Problem Set #13
Text:
Peter Atkins, Physical Chemistry, Seventh Edition, Freeman, New York, .
James R. Barrante, Applied Mathematics for Physical Chemistry, Second Edition, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 1998.
Laboratory:
Experimentation plays an integral role in the course. The laboratory offers the opportunity to put your conceptual understanding of the subject to work. There will be two laboratory sections on afternoons starting at 1:30 PM. Each investigation will require careful preparation including preparing your notebook and reading the material in the handout as well as any literature articles required for the investigation. Careful record keeping in a laboratory notebook is critical to this laboratory work.