Department of Chemistry, Unit Catalogue 2007/08 |
CH10137 From molecules to materials |
| Credits: 12 |
| Level: Certificate |
| Academic Year |
| Assessment: EX 80%, OT 20% |
| Requisites: |
| While taking this unit you must take CH10012 and take CH10133 and take CH10135 and in taking this unit you cannot take CH10138 |
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Aims: To introduce the basic concepts of physical chemistry upon which understanding of modern chemistry depends. These include the principles governing chemical processes in terms of thermodynamic properties, the measurement and analysis of reaction rates, chemical equilibria, phase behaviour, molecular spectroscopy and basic quantum mechanics.
Learning Outcomes: After studying this unit, students should be able to: * Describe simply the role of thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy and quantum mechanics in chemistry * Discuss the fundamental ideas lying behind thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy and quantum mechanics and how they can be used to interpret chemical behaviour * Perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of and solve problems involving thermodynamic and kinetic concepts and data. * Solve numerical problems in of thermodynamics, kinetics, spectroscopy and quantum mechanics * Apply some basic mathematical methods to the solution of chemical problems. Skills: Numeracy (F, A), Problem solving (T, F, A), Oral communication (F). Content: * The world of gases: ideal and non-ideal gases. Intermolecular forces: vapours, liquids and solutions. First law of thermodynamics and thermochemistry: energy changes in chemical reactions. Entropy and free energy. * Reaction kinetics, stoichiometry, molecularity; reaction rate and order: half-life; integrated rate equations. * Experimental methods in reaction kinetics. Arrhenius equation. Consecutive reactions; intermediates; rate limiting steps; chain reactions; catalysis. * Calculation of changes in U, H, S, G under a range of temp., pressure and composition conditions. Le Chatelier principle. Relation between Gibbs free energy and equilibrium constants with examples drawn from chemical reactions, redox and electrochemical processes. * Energy levels and molecular speeds in gases, Boltzmann equation,. Relationship between rate and equilibrium constants * Phase behaviour of solids, liquids and gases. Qualitative and quantitative characterisation of phase transitions. Emphasis will be placed on the solution of a range of types of problems. * UV/visible spectrophotometry. Vibrational spectroscopy. Linear diatomic and polyatomic molecules. IR spectra of functional group containing compounds. Rotational spectroscopy; rigid rotor model. Vibration-rotation spectroscopy. * Basic principles of quantum mechanics; wavefunctions, eigenvalues and operators. * Solving the Schrdinger equation, the calculation of energy levels and comparison with experiment. Quantitative methods and problem solving in chemistry. Revision of basic calculus and trigonometric functions. Application of mathematical methods to solving chemical problems. |