Physical Chemistry 2

A theoretical interpretation of nature from the microscopic viewpoint. Includes an introduction to kinetic molecular theory, quantum chemistry, and spectroscopy.

Prerequisites: CHEM 23200; MATH 11200; PHYS 11800. 3 credits.  

Required text

Thomas Engel Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy, 1^st ed.; Pearson: 2006. 

            ISBN: 0-8053-3843-8

Office Hours

By appointment or whenever I am available.

Grading

Four exams (40%), final exam (20%), and problem sets (40%).  The fourth exam will be the ACS Quantum Mechanics exam. There will also be quizzes and bonus points dispersed throughout the course.

Final Exam

Tuesday, May 5, 1:30 pm ‑ 4:00 pm

Calculators

All calculations will be done on paper.  No calculators are allowed during an exam or quiz.

Cheating on an examination will result in a grade of F (failure) for the course. All cases of cheating or plagiarism will be prosecuted.

There will be no make‑up exams or quizzes and problem sets must be handed in by 9:00 am the day they are due. It is the student's responsibility to notify the instructor if an exam or quiz will be missed due to a verifiable emergency or religious belief in accordance with the Attendance Policy outlined in the current Undergraduate Catalog.  In order to satisfy the requirements for the course the student must take the final exam and miss no more than one in‑class exam.

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation will be provided to students with documented disabilities on a case by case basis. Students must register with the Office of Academic Support Services and provide appropriate documentation to the college before any academic adjustment will be provided.

Exams will be comprehensive but focus on the most recent material. There will be three in‑class exams and the ACS exam which will account for 40% of your final grade. Mainly the exams will focus on the most recent lecture material, but most of the topics in this course will build on previous concepts. The final exam will be comprehensive over the entire semester accounting for 20% of your final grade. (Hint: The best way to study for exams is to do and understand the assigned problems.)

Study sessions are entirely optional and will be scheduled to accommodate the majority of students. The tentative time is Friday at 1:00 pm, but we will discuss the time during our first meeting. We can discuss problem sets, exams, lecture material, or the elephant in the room.

Problem sets will be assigned often.  The level of difficulty will be reflected in the total points. The problems may be assigned from the textbook and may include questions from the instructor. The problem sets are designed to give you practice working on problems that are relevant to understanding the topics discussed during the lecture and topics presented in the text but not covered in lecture.  I strongly advise that you begin the problem sets immediately after you receive them.  Some of the problem sets will not be collected but used as a sample quiz or exam. 

Lectures in this course are designed to complement and supplement the textbook. In most cases, the lectures will be used only to reinforce and explain the more difficult topics and concepts covered by the text. While in lecture, you should respect the efforts of your fellow students and participate. Thus, if you arrive late or must leave early, you should enter or leave as quietly as possible and sit in the rear of the classroom.  Lecture disturbances, including talking and eating, will not be tolerated.  Disruptions from cell phones and beepers will result in removal from lecture.  This is a small class and you cannot hide from my watchful eye.

Preparation is essential in order to get the most out of the lectures.  You should strive to keep up with the material. If you fall behind, it becomes increasingly difficult to catch up with the class. This means that you should read the chapter in the text as it is covered in lecture, review the notes from previous lectures, and work the problems as they are covered in class.  You should plan on scheduling 1-2 hours to work on this material from this class everyday or 3-4 hours three days out of the week.

Quizzes will be common at the beginning of class and will be timed.  They may be announced close-book quizzes or unannounced open-note quizzes.  Thus, if you are late you will receive zero points or have less time to complete the quiz which may result in a low score.

Bonus questions are a fun way to get some extra points and enjoy some friendly competition with your classmates.  The first person with the correct answer will get all the points.  You are free to discuss amongst yourselves or discuss with me, but not with anyone outside of class.

A detailed course schedule is available on the course website.

If at any time during the semester you feel you are falling behind or have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me either in person, on phone, or by email.