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Chemistry 481, Spring 2021


Chem 481, Spring 2021

Dr. Alexander, C-2230; Contact information
  1. Email: mha@umd.edu (email).

    Please use the UMD email rather than contacting my through ELMS.

  2. Public questions and comments (accessible to all students): Use the "discussions" facilities in ELMS
  3. Office Hours: After every lecture (MWF 10–10:45) or at other times (TBA).

Table of Contents

Use the back arrow on your browser or the command bar at the top of website to return here or
  1. News
  2. Text and Internet Resources
  3. Supplemental Material
  4. Previous Exams
  5. Syllabus
  6. Schedule
  7. Details, Policies, Guidelines


News

Students will be responsible for checking, periodically, the "Announcement" section on ELMS, for updates to the schedule and syllabus, last minute information on the homeworks, exams, or other general information.
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1/18
I have published the course on ELMS

I've just assigned homework 1, due next friday. I'll be opening a discussion section on ELMS. Please post any questions there.

I'm posting a powerpoint presentation about the partition function, which we will be going over in class on the 30th.

This spring we will be abbreviating the discussion of quantum mechanics (Chap. 1), eliminating the discussion of spectroscopic transitions. This will allow us more time to talk about more thermodynamic topics later in the course.

8/27
A student asked about the example of differentiation in part A of the chapter 1 of the . Here, in the fourth example, the square brackets mean "either/or", so you can have d cos(kx)/dx = -k sin(kx) or d sin(kx)/dx = k cos(kx)
8/26
You should go over Chapter I of the supplemental material. This chapter is a review of the basic differential and integral calculus which is a prerequisite of the course. Review your calculus, especially differentiation of functions of x (see part I.A of the Supplemental Material. Also, learn, understand, and remember the difference between

$\int dx/x = \ln x$

and

$\int dx/x^2 = - 1/x$.

All this is explained in Homework 1. I will open an ELMS based discussion for you to ask questions related to this assignment.

Here are the two general topics I will discuss in class on 28 Aug:

Topic 1. How to cool your house (or part of it)

Topic 2. Do things mix, tending toward greater disorder, or don't they?

Text and Internet Resources

D. McQuarrie and J. Simon, Molecular Thermodynamics and Problems and Solutions to accompany Molecular Thermodynamics

To help, I have also created some supplemental material to complement the text.

You can also learn a lot from the online demonstrations available on the Wolfram Demonstrations site. See, for example

or from the online Java applets from the University of Colorado. See, for example


Syllabus (latest revision: 1/20/2021)

The course will cover the first 9 chapters of the text, although some sections will be skipped. Roughly one chapter will be covered each week, although, this pace will certainly slip as the semester progresses and due to the additional impedimentts associated with a purely online format.

Updates to the syllabus will also be posted as News items.

You be responsible for

The detail list of the material to be covered by the exams is given below. Note that this fall we will be abbreviating the discussion of quantum mechanics (Chap. 1), eliminating any discussion of spectroscopic transitions.

There will be 9 homework assignments (20 pts each), 9 quizzes (10 pts each), three mid-term examinations (100 pts each) and a final. Homework (on paper) will be due in class, prior to the beginning of lecture. Exams will be held in class. The final will be in the normal class lecture room.

Homework See the schedule). Each homework assignment will include

Quizzes

There will be 9 quizzes, worth 10 pts each. These 10 minute quizzes will be given in class. Solutions to the quizzes will be posted after they are given.

Exam 1: so be modified as the semester unfolds

  1. Chapter 1: You will be responsible only for the expressions for the energy levels of a particle in a box (sec. 1-3) and a harmonic oscillator (sec 1-5). Know how to solve problems 1-24 and 1-25. diatomic molecule. You will not be responsible for the vibrational and rotational levels of a polyatomic.

  2. MathChapter A: Newton-Raphson method (pp 39–41) You will NOT be responsible for trapezoidal and Simpson's rule integration. Know how to solve problems A-3 – A-8

  3. Sections I–IV of the Supplemental Material.

  4. Chapter 2: Sec. 2-1 (ideal gas law, pressure units). Sec. 2-2 (real gas eqns of state; you will be responsible for only the van der Waals equation of state, NOT the Redlich-Kwong or Peng-Robinson equations of state). Sec. 2-3 (isotherms of ideal and real gasses, critical point). You will NOT be responsible for the law of corresponding states (Sec. 2.4). Sec. 2-5 (second virial coefficient B2V, Lennard-Jones potential). Sec. 2-7 (relation between V(r) and the 2nd virial coefficient; you will be responsible for the relation between the relation between B2V and the hard-sphere radius σ of the gas, explained in 2.7 and Eq. 2.39). Know how to solve problems 2-6, 2-8, 2-10, 2-17 & 2-18 (just van der Waals), 2-39, 2-58, 2-59.

  5. MathChapter B: General discussion of discrete and continuous distributions. Uniform and Gaussian distributions. You'll be responsible for Eqs. (B-1 – B-21)

  6. Chapter 3: Secs. Sec. 3-1 – 3.3, 3.4 (just through Eq. 3.26), 3.6, 3.7. Know how to solve problems 3.10 – 3-12, 3-16, 3-38, 3-39.

  7. Chapter 4: Only Secs. 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3.

  8. Everything covered in lecture up through Monday, Sep. 23.

Exam 2: to be modified as the semester unfolds

  1. Chapter 5: all

  2. MathChapter E: Stirling's approximation

  3. Chapter 6: all, except you will NOT be responsible for the entropy of mixing and for Sec. 6.8.

  4. Secs. VIII, X, XI, and XII-A of the supplemental material.

  5. In particular, you should be able to
    1. For an isothermal (constant T), adiabatic (q=0), isobaric (constant P), or isochoric (constant V) transformation of an ideal or van der Waal's gas (either reversible or irreversible), or for a more general transformation of an ideal gas in which you're given the relation between P and V along the path of the transformation, understand how to determine Tf,Vf, Pf, q, w, ΔU, ΔS, ∫δqrev/T .
    2. Use standard heats of formation ( ΔfHo) to determine a heat of reaction ( ΔrHo).
    3. By application of Hess' law, be able to calculate an unknown heat of reaction by manipulating known values of ΔrHo.
    4. Understand the thermodynamic relationship between entropy and the integral along a path of δqrev
    5. Understand the statistical mechanical relation between entropy and the partition function, as applied to a two-level system.
    6. Everything covered in lecture up through Wed. 10/30

Exam 3: to be modified as the semester unfolds

  1. Chapter 7, Sections 7-1 through 7-6. (This was covered partially in exam in questions 5 and 6 on exam 2). In particular, you should master
    1. Understanding the mathematical developments in § 7–1 and being able to use the equations
    2. In terms of the variable x=exp(-–ε/β), deriving an expression for the entropy of simple two-level systems, and power series expansions of S valid at low temperature.
  2. Chapter 8, except Sec. 8-8, in particular all the in-chapter Examples and Table 8.1.
  3. Secs. IX, X, XII b,c, and d; of the supplemental material.
  4. The supplemental problems on homeworks 7, 8, and 9.
  5. Chapter 9, sections 9.1–9.4

Final Exam:

    Everything covered in Exam 1, Exam 2. and Exam 3

Topics to be Covered

A very brief listing of the topics and book sections we will cover in each lecture are: (started 11/10/2019)

Lectures

I will be using Keynote to prepare my lectures. After each class, I will make the original Keynote as well as a PDF transcription available in the Lecture Transcript subfolder in the Files section on ELMS.

Homework and Exam Schedule

The homework due dates and the dates of exams and quizzes are: (There may be some changes as we progress)

The web links for the Homework assignments will become active when the assignment is posted.

The web links for the exams will become active after the exam.

Date Item Points
8/30 Pop-up quiz #1 10 points
9/6 Homework # 1 20 points
9/13 Pop-up quiz #2 10 points
9/16 Homework #2 20 points
9/18 Pop-up quiz #3 10 points
9/23 Homework #3 20 points
9/27 Exam #1(Chaps.1–4) 100 points
10/4 Pop-up quiz #4 10 points
10/9 Homework #4 20 points
10/11 Pop-up quiz #5 10 points
10/14 Homework #5 15 points
10/21 Pop-up quiz #6 10 points
10/23 Homework #6 20 points
11/1 Exam # 2 (Chaps. 5–6) 100 points
4/9 "W" drop date  
11/8 Pop-up quiz #7 10 points
11/11 Homework #7 due 20 points
11/15 Pop-up quiz #8 10 points
11/22 Homework #8 due 20 points
11/22 Pop-up quiz #9 10 points
12/4 Homework #9 due 20 points
12/6 Exam # 3 (Chaps. 7–9) 100 points
5/10 (mon) last class  
5/17 (mon) Final Exam 8:00–10:00
 220 points
student participation 40 points
  total 830 points



Homework and Exam Details and Policies

Absences (General)

The University provides students with excused absences the opportunity to reschedule significant assessments, except in cases where the nature of the assessment precluded the possibility of rescheduling, OR to perform a substitute assignment without penalty. An instructor is not under obligation to offer a substitute assignment or to give a student a make-up assessment unless the failure to perform was due to an excused absence, that is, due to illness (of the student or a dependent), religious observance (where the nature of the observance prevents the student from being present during the class period), participation in University activities at the request of University authorities, or compelling circumstances beyond the student's control. Students claiming excused absence must apply in writing one of these causes.

The examination dates have been chosen so as not to conflict with national or religious holidays. In accordance with the University's policy on religious observance and classroom assignments and tests, students will not be penalized for participation in religious observances and that, whenever feasible, they will be allowed to make up academic assignments that are missed due to such absences. Students are responsible for notifying Dr. Alexander of projected absences within the first two weeks of the semester. This is especially important for the final examination.

Absences (Medical)
In accordance with University policy, for medically necessitated absences students may, one time per semester, provide an electronic copy of a self-signed excuse as documentation of an absence from a single class that does not coincide with a quiz, exam or assignment due date. Students should contact Dr. Alexander in advance, or, if not possible, within 24 hours of the scheduled time of the class ,(by email if possible). Upon return to class, studdents should present Dr. Alexander with his/her self-signed excuse. which acknowledges that the information provided is accurate. Note, however, that a student's failure to provide an accurate statement is a violation of the Honor Code.

For all other medically necessitated absences, specifically for those which coincide with a scheduled examination or a due date of a homework, students must provide electronic documentation from a physician or the University Health Center to verify an absence. This documentation should include the dates of treatment or the time frame that the student was unable to meet academic responsibilities. Diagnostic information is not required.

Further information on the University of Maryland's Attendance and Assessment Policy can be obtained from the appropriate website Attendance

Make-up Examinations Make up examinations will be given only for a valid University-allowed excuse. You must contact Dr. Alexander in person as soon as practical. Failure to meet these requirements will result in a score of 0 for the missed examination.

Learning Disabilities If you have a disability, please make an appointment with Dr. Alexander to discuss available accomodations to maximize your learning experience in this course. You must have prior documentation of your disability from Disability Support Services.

eInfo and eResources

This website will be a complementary source of information to the course ELMS pages. I have introduced links on the these ELMS pages that refer back here.

If you have general questions about scheduling, content, or whatever, the answers to which you think other students might appreciate, please contact me through the Discussion sections on ELMS, rather than through email.

I have opened an ELMS-based discussion session at which you can ask questions about the upcoming homework problems. I will monitor these discussions, to answer any questions you might have. To maximize the success of these online discussion sections, students should try to learn about the equation input and editing capabilities of Canvas (which is the software package that underlies ELMS).

I have also opened ELMS-based discussions related to the lecture material, one discussion for roughly each chapter, and to each homework. I will moderate these discussions.

This course website, the supplemental material and other interesting links are available on the pages section of the Chem 481 ELMS website.

Course Etiquette

The purpose of the lecture is learning physical chemistry. Please be considerate of me and your fellow students by The online format is new to me, and in many ways, far more difficult than the usual lecture format. I'd be grateful for your feedback about possible improvements.

Grading Policy

Student grades will be based on the overall percentage of total points obtained. The final grade distributions were: in 2015 in 2016: in 2017: in spring 2019: and in fall 2019 These percentages include +/– grades.

Academic Integrity

The Code of Academic Integrity, at the University of Maryland (see also the University's website on Course Related Policies) sets standards for all undergraduate and graduate students. This Code defines four major types of academic dishonesty:

At every examination students will be expected to sign the following pledge of academic integrity: