Chemistry 232 is a course in physical chemistry designed for students in the life sciences. The course brings students into the universe of physical chemistry as a tool for understanding biochemical systems. Topics include the quantum mechanical approach to atoms, molecules, and spectroscopy, chemical thermodynamics, electrolyte solutions and electrochemistry, and chemical kinetics. Laboratory experiments reinforce these concepts.

Lectures and discussions will take place during the three periods assigned to the course each week. Review sessions will be held at the end of each major unit of the course, or as needed. Classes will ordinarily be 70 minutes in length, but may be shorter. Reading assignments should be done before a topic is discussed in class.

After each class you will be asked to submit a "one-minute paper" to our FirstClass Conference. The "one-minute paper's" purposes are to help you identify the central theme(s) of the class and to point out to me what you found most confusing. I will then follow up on points of confusion, either individually through e-mail or a meeting, through our FirstClass conference, or in the next class. You may also contact me via e-mail or the FirstClass conference at any time with questions about lecture material. My posted office hours may be supplemented by appointments at other times during the week.

Problem sets will be assigned regularly and will be graded. You are strongly encouraged to work with other students on them. Exams will be based on material introduced in lecture and laboratory, and reviewed in problem sets. Individual requests for rescheduling of exams will be considered only if they are made prior to the exam.

Your grade in Chemistry 232 will depend on all these components as follows:

Your final grade will reflect both the numerical results of the above and an assessment of your progress throughout the semester.

Tentative Lecture Schedule

1. Temperature
   1. Definition
   2. Establishing a temperature scale
      
      
2. Spectroscopy
   1. Elements of spectroscopy
   2. Experimental requirements
   3. Molecular spectroscopy: general considerations
      1. Born-Oppenheimer approximation
      2. Line positions
      3. Line intensities
         1. Boltzmann distribution law
         2. Transition probability
         3. Beer Lambert Law
      4. Line shapes (line widths)
         1. Natural line widths
         2. Doppler broadening
         3. Static interactions
         4. Dynamic interactions
   4. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
      1. Experimental requirements
      2. 2. Quantum Mechanical Model
         1. Line positions: frequency, population and splitting
         2. Chemical shift
         3. Boltzmann distribution
         4. Spin-spin coupling
         5. Line widths: Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
      3. Classical Model
   5. Electronic Spectroscopy
      1. Absorption
      2. Emission
      3. Photoelectron Spectra: experimental energies of atoms and molecules
         
         
3. Quantum Chemistry: Atoms
   1. Planck and Black Body Radiation: quantization of energy
      1. Definition of black body
      2. Classical Theories of Black Body Radiation
      3. Planck's Theory
   2. Einstein and the Photoelectric Effect: quantization of em radiation
   3. Bohr Theory of Atomic Structure
   4. de Broglie and Wave-Particle Duality
   5. Schrödinger and Wave Mechanics
   6. The Postulates of Quantum Mechanics
   7. Review of Systems with Exact Solutions of the Schrödinger Equation
      1. Particle in a box
      2. H-like atoms
      3. Rigid Rotor
      4. Linear Harmonic Oscillator
   8. Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
   9. Electron Spin
   10. Polyelectronic Atoms
       1. Linear Combination of Atomic Orbitals
       2. Self Consistent Field
       3. Pauli Principle
          
          
4. Quantum Chemistry: Molecules
   1. Valence Bond and Molecular Orbital Approaches
   2. Computational Approach: Atoms in Molecules
      
      
5. Gases
   1. Ideal Gases (Perfect Gases)
      1. PV = nRT
      2. (δE/δV)_T   =  0
      3. Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures
   2. Real Gases
      1. Virial equation
      2. Van der Waals equation
   3. Kinetic theory of gases
      
      
6. Thermodynamics
   1. Definitions of important terms
   2. First Law of Thermodynamics
      1. Statement of the law: ΔU = q + w
      2. Isothermal expansion of a perfect gas
      3. Heat Capacity
         1. Constant volume
         2. Constant pressure: definition of enthalpy: H = U + PV
      4. Applications of the First Law
         1. Thermochemistry
         2. Kirchhoff's law: dependence of ΔH on T
         3. Bond enthalpies
         4. Gas expansion
         5. Ions in solution
   3. Second Law of Thermodynamics
      1. Spontaneity
      2. Reversibility and Irreversibility
      3. Entropy
      4. Carnot cycle and thermodynamic efficiency
      5. ΔSuniverse
      6. Entropy changes in phase transitions
      7. Relationship of entropy to A and G
         1. G (Gibbs Energy), A (Helmholtz Energy ) and spontaneity
         2. Calculating ΔG
   4. Third Law of Thermodynamics
      
      
7. Electrolyte Solutions and Electrochemistry
   1. Definition of electrolyte solutions
   2. Properties of electrolyte solutions
      1. activity
      2. conductivity
      3. colligative properties and the Donnan effect
      4. Biological membranes
   3. Electrochemistry
      1. Review of cell conventions
      2. The Nernst equation
      3. Electrochemical cells and their applications
      4. Membrane potentials
         
         
8. Chemical Kinetics
   1. History
   2. Definitions of important terms
   3. Experimental design
   4. Rate laws for simple reactions
      1. Zeroth Order
      2. First Order
      3. Second Order
         1. 2A → B
         2. A + B → C
         3. method of initial rates
   5. Temperature dependence of reaction rates
      1. Arrhenius equation
      2. Gas phase
      3. Solution phase
      4. Collision Theory
      5. Reaction Dynamics
      6. Transition State Theory (Activated Complex Theory)
   6. Enzyme Kinetics