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Malkiat
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SYLLABUS: Physical Chemistry 158b – Chemical
Thermodynamics and Kinetics
Click here to download a PDF copy of the syllabus.
Course
information: Spring 2007 Semester, Dr. Malkiat S. Johal, extension 74253, malkiat.johal@pomona.edu. Required
textbook: D. A. McQuarrie and J. D.
Simon, Physical Chemistry: A
Molecular Approach, University Science Books, 1997 (ISBN: 0-935702-99-7).
Office Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 1:00pm to 3:00 pm, or by appointment.
COURSE CONTENT
Unit 1: Partial Differentiation and Equations of State,
Week 1/2: Chapter 16; MathChapters G and H. Review of partial
differentiation. The properties of gases. Two-parameter and cubic equations of
state. Second viral coefficients and intermolecular potentials. Law of
corresponding states. Van der Waals constants in terms of molecular parameters.
Unit 1 examination. There will be a mid-term exam on the Wednesday of Week 3,
testing all the material from Chapter 16 and MathChapter H. The exam will last
approximately 1 hour and will be closed book
Unit 2: Introduction to Molecular Thermodynamics, Laws of
Thermodynamics,
Week 2: Chapter 17 and 18; MathChapter B and I. Review of the energy
levels of atoms and molecules. Introduction to the Boltzmann distribution law
and partition functions. Use of
partition functions to obtain the average ensemble energy and heat capacity for
a number atomic and molecular systems. Expression for pressure in terms of the
partition function. The relationship between system partition functions (Q) and
molecular partition functions (q). The molecular partition function expressed
as a product of partition functions for each degree of freedom. The
translational, rotational and vibrational partition functions.
Week 3: Chapter 19; MathChapter J. The First Law of Thermodynamics. Internal
energy, heat and work and their molecular interpretation. Fundamental thermodynamic
processes e.g. reversible adiabatic expansion of gases. Enthalpy changes for
chemical reactions. The temperature dependence of enthalpy. The concept of
entropy.
Week 4: Chapter 20 and 21. Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
The importance of devising a reversible process to calculate entropy changes.
Statistical description of entropy (S
= kBInW), and entropy in terms of a partition
function. Entropy and the Third Law of
Thermodynamics. Absolute entropies, standard entropies, calorimetric
entropies, and spectroscopic entropies.
Week 5: Chapter 22. Helmholtz and Gibbs Energies and the prediction of the direction
of a spontaneous process for a system at both constant pressure and volume. Maxwell
relations. The Gibbs-Helmholtz equation. Fugacity as a measure of the
nonideality of a gas. The Unit will end with a summary. There will be a mid-term
exam on the Friday, testing all the material from Chapter 17 to Chapter 22. The
exam will last approximately 1 hour and will be closed book
Unit 3: Solution Thermodynamics
Week 6: Chapter 24. Liquid-liquid solutions. We will examine partial
molar quantities and the Gibbs-Duhem equation. Ideal solutions and Raoult’s
law. The concept of chemical potential and activity. Gibbs energy of mixing of
a binary solution.
Week 7: Chapter 25. Solid-liquid solutions. Raoult’s law and Henry’s
law standard states. Colligative properties. Electrolyte solutions.
Debye-Hückel theory and the mean-spherical approximation.
Week 8: Regular solution theory. There will be a
mid-term exam on the Friday, testing all the material from Chapter 24 and
Chapter 25, including handouts on regular solution theory. The exam will last
approximately 1 hour and will be closed book
Week 9: Spring break, no classes.
Unit 4: Physical and Chemical
Equilbria
Week 10: Chapter 23. Phase equilbria. Phase diagrams of pure substances.
The Clausius-Clapeyron equation. Two dimensional phase diagrams and pressure-area
isotherms. Chemical equilibrium.
Week 11: Chapter 26. Chemical equilibrium continued. The Van’t Hoff
equation. Equilibrium constant and standard Gibbs energies of formation.
Equilibrium constants in terms of partition functions. The use of activities in
solubility calculations. No classes on Friday: Cesar Chavez Day (staff and
instructional holiday—observed).
Week 12: Chapter 28. There will be a mid-term exam
on the Monday, testing all the material from Chapter 23 and Chapter 26. The
exam will last approximately 1 hour and will be closed book. Chemical kinetics
and rate laws. Effect of temperature on the rate constant. Transition state
theory.
Unit 5: Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Mechanisms
Week 13: Chapter 29. Reaction mechanisms. Reversible reactions,
consecutive, and parallel reactions. The steady-state approximation. Chains
reactions, the Lindmann mechanisms, and enzyme catalysis. Explosions.
Week 14: Final.
Exact time and place to be announced. We will review
the entire course. We will revisit difficult topics and go through a large
number of practice problems. The final exam will be cumulative and cover
questions from all Units (equal weighting.) The closed book final examination
will last approximately 2 hours. One 8.5” ´ 11” sheet is
allowed for reference to equations and physical constants.
END