CHEMISTRY 350:  Physical Chemistry I

Spring 2003

Professor:        Dr. R. David Pace                                  Office:  Derby 225                                                                                      Phone:  698-4218

email:  dpace@lyon.edu

Course website:     http://www.lyon.edu.webdata/users/dpace/CHEM350.htm       

Office Hours:  (Tentative) M 1–3 PM and WR 9–11 AM.  I request no visitors on Tuesdays.  As usual, other than Tuesdays, you may come by at times other than those specifically listed.  If I am available, I will be more than glad to speak with you about any problem or concern that you may have.

Prerequisites:  CHM 120; MTH 210; & PHY 210 or 240.  Knowledge of the material in these courses is assumed.

Text:  Atkins, P.; de Paula, J. Physical Chemistry, 7th ed.

Additional Materials:  Calculator and calculus book

Course Objectives:  Introduction to physical chemistry. The main focus of this class is on the kinetics and molecular dynamics of chemical reactions, thermodynamics, chemical equilibria, and chemical kinetics.  Complex problem solving is emphasized.

Homework:  Homework sets will be assigned approximately each Monday and due the following Monday.  The lowest homework set grade will be dropped.  Homework will NOT be assigned for weeks in which an exam will be given.  Homework sets may be accessed from the course website.  An assignment will be considered “late” if submitted after class time but before 3 PM on the day it is due.  Late assignments will be assessed a 25% penalty.  Assignments submitted after 3PM will not be graded.  See the Make-Up Policy below for information on acceptance of late assignments without penalty.  You may work together to solve the problems but, copying of another person’s homework is an Honor Code violation.  All homework must be “pledged” signifying that no copying occurred.

Exams:  3 exams will be given during semester plus one final exam (comprehensive).  Exams must be completed with only individual effort without the aid any other resources.  Exams must be “pledged”.

Laboratory:  You must satisfactorily complete 90% of the experiments in the lab component in order to pass the course, regardless of the total points accumulated. 

Grading:                3 semester exams   45%                              A          90—100                       

                              Homework               15%                             B          80—89

                              Final                       15%                              C          70—79

                              Laboratory               25%                              D          60—69 

                                                            F          below 59                                  

Attendance:  Attendance is mandatory.  If you miss more than one consecutive week’s worth of lectures without an appropriate (written) school-sponsored or medical excuse, it will not be possible to pass this course.  Additionally, chemistry is an experimental science.  If you do not satisfactorily complete 90% of the laboratory component, it will not be possible to pass this course.

Honor Code:  You may discuss all lecture materials, study aids, lecture problems, and suggested problems with your classmates.  You may use course material from previous years as a study aid.  All take-home exams must be worked out without the facilitation of study aids of any sort.  Cheating violates the Honor Code of Lyon College and will be handled according to established methods.  

Make-Up Policy:  No late assignments (exams or homework) will be accepted, except under extreme circumstances. Exams are take-home and offered over a two or three day period.  Homework sets are due approximately each Monday (that allows 7 days for the completion of the assigned work).  So, acceptance of any late assignment will be a rarity indeed.  However, an extreme circumstance is defined as a severe illness (medical documentation required) or family emergency.  These are rare events in the life of an average student, but they do happen.  You must contact me as soon as you realize that you have a conflict with an assignment due date.  Athletes and other students participating in college-sponsored events will be permitted to make up any missed assignments.  It is preferable that assignments be made up in advance, if possible.  Any student that will be participating in college-sponsored activities must submit a schedule of those activities to me within the first week of class.

A Strategy for Success in Chemistry 350:

            Physical chemistry is a challenging and rewarding subject.  It is from the perspective of this course that the foundations of thermochemistry, kinetics and equilibrium, and chemical bonding are investigated.  This course is rather intensive in its utilization of higher math.  The successful student will keep close at hand a calculus textbook and a general chemistry textbook as they plow their way through the chapter reading assignments. 

            The following strategy is not a method; it is a process.  The whole concept rests on one thing:  YOU, the student.  If you are not willing to put in at least 3 hours per week study time per lecture hour (that is right – 9 hours per week study time), then the prospect for an adequate conclusion to this course is dim.  Here it is:

I.                     Preparation for Lecture   Your professor is an organic chemist by training.  He will have to prepare for each lecture.  Therefore, you must also.  You must review the material in the textbook before it is covered in class.  I do not expect you to fully comprehend each section, but the material should look familiar to you when you see it on the blackboard.

II.                   Homework Chemistry is better learned by working problems.  Homework sets will be assigned almost each Monday, and will be due the following Monday.  Homework does significantly contribute to the overall grade in this class.  However, it is easy to focus on the 60% chunk represented by the exams.  The fact is that homework exercises build and strengthen your deductive skills.  These skills are the foundational principles of this chemistry course (and any other chemistry course, for that matter).  You will be required to connect chemical concepts in complex mathematical ways in this course.  Chemical and mathematical deduction cannot by taught by a professor or learned by a student in a lecture hall.  Deductive reasoning skills are developed through the regular and continual exercise of the little gray cells (the brain

CARDINAL CLASS RULE #1:  You must not wait to the last minute to attempt to solve a homework set.  Sunday evening after church is the wrong time to start a physical chemistry homework set that is due the next day!  So, begin attempting the problems early.  This allows time to contemplate a challenging concept and review lecture/textbook materials.  I will not entertain any requests for a grace period if I see no evidence of your commitment to this rule.

CARDNAL CLASS RULE #2:  I will not help you with a homework problem unless you bring me your work sheet showing what avenues you have explored in trying to solve the problem.  I am not a solutions manual to be consulted with at the last minute.  I will not solve the problem for you, but I will be glad to help direct you back to the path from which you have strayed.  

I do not disallow group problem solving.  However, I strongly urge you to attempt to solve the homework problems by yourself.  If, however, you become stumped, seek help immediately.  You may consult a fellow student or me.  Again, refer to CARDINAL RULE #2.  It is often helpful to work together.  However, I caution you to not become too dependent upon another person (me included) to always come to the rescue.  If you have difficulty at first, keep on trying – do not give up!

CARDINAL RULE #3:  Work problems, problems, problems!  You cannot work enough problems in chemistry.  In fact, that is the best way to study for an exam!  

III.                  “Student, Teach Thyself” Few students actually take my advice on this.  However, the beat way to learn any subject is to teach that subject.  You may want to involve yourself with a study group and take turns teaching sections to one another.  I always preferred to lecture to myself in an empty classroom.  Either way, make yourself a set of notes.  Do not use the notes taken in lecture – make your OWN set of lecture notes to use in this exercise.  You will be surprised at how well this actually works!

IV.                Equation Cards Physical chemistry has a plethora of equations.  While math is really important, do not let this drive your perception of physical chemistry because you will really miss the forest for the trees.  Math allows us to relate different chemical concepts to one another in a logical and analytical fashion.  So, grab a pack of index cards and begin to make a library of equation-based chemical concepts.  On each card, include information such as the pertinent equation along with a brief explanation of the equation, its use, and the chemical concepts involved.  Keep these in your backpack or pocket, and when you have a few minutes between classes or after dinner, pull them out and run through them.

Tentative Schedule

Remember, read the assigned text sections prior to the lecture

Tentative Exam Schedule