Chem 325 A Syllabus

Chemistry 325 (Section 1): Chemical Thermodynamics
Spring 2012
MWF 9:00-9:50 AM, 0305 Carver Hall; 3 credits
Course Web Page on Blackboard Learn: https://bb.its.iastate.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
Instructor: Klaus Schmidt-Rohr E-mail: srohr@iastate.edu
Office: 0205 Hach Hall Phone: 4-6105
Office Hours/Problem Sessions: Monday 10:30-11:30 AM, Tuesday 3-4 PM,
Thursday 3-4 PM, or by appointment
TAs/Graders: Mr. Keith Fritzsching E-mail: kfritzsc@iastate.edu
Office: 0235-1 Hach Hall Phone: 4-5402
Ms. Ji Hyun
Office Hours: By appointment
E-mail: jhjun@iastate.edu
Course description:
Thermodynamics is of great importance to a wide range of fields, including
chemistry, chemical engineering, biology, physics, and mechanical engineering. In this
course, we will discuss classical thermodynamics, including the three Laws of
Thermodynamics, with particular emphasis on applications to chemical systems and
reactions.
Note: Students taking a two-semester physical chemistry sequence are advised to take Chem
324 first; for the parallel Section 2 of this course, which is molecular-based and stresses
statistical thermodynamics, knowledge from Chem 324 is essential.
Required text: Molecular Thermodynamics, D. A. McQuarrie and J. D. Simon
Prerequisites: Chem 178, Math 166. Phys 222 recommended.
Mathematics: Physical chemistry is inherently mathematical. A sound knowledge of
differentiation and integration (Math 165-166) is required for success in this course. Much
use will be made of partial derivatives, which only requires that you hold all but one of
several independent variables constant while taking a derivative. Students unfamiliar with
partial differentiation should study Chapter D in the text as soon as possible.
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Grading:
Homework problem sets (7 to 12): 10%
Three hourly exams: 20% each
Dates: Exam 1: Friday, Feb. 17
Exam 2: Friday, Mar. 9
Exam 3: Friday, Apr. 13
Final exam (cumulative): 30%
Tentative dates: Monday, April 30, 7:30 (-9:30) AM, or Wednesday, May 2.
Make-up exams will be administered only in exceptional cases, which must be discussed
with the instructor ahead of time or as soon as the conflict is known, and which
absolutely require documentation. In some cases, at the instructor’s discretion, the missed
exam may be waived and the final grade will then be based on the other exams and
assignments, each taking on a proportionally higher weighting.
Assignments: Homework problems will be handed out in class or made available through
Blackboard Learn. Seven to ten homework sets will be assigned throughout the course of the
semester, and are typically due one week after they are assigned. Answers to problem sets
will usually be posted on the website one day after they are due. No credit will be given for
homework sets handed in after the answers have been posted.
Discussion and collaboration can be a valuable learning tool, and is therefore
encouraged when you work through homework problem sets. Nevertheless, to gain a
thorough understanding of the concepts addressed in the homework sets, each student must
write up answers individually.
Note: Illegible exams or problem sets will NOT be graded. All work must be presented
reasonably neatly and logically.
To encourage lecture attendance, simple in-class quizzes may be given and their scores
incorporated with the homework scores.
Disabilities: If you have a documented disability that requires assistance, you will need to
go to the Disability Resource (DR) Office for coordination of your academic
accommodations. The DR Office is located in the Student Services Building, Room 1076.
The DR office phone number is 515-294-7220, TDD 515-294-6335.
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Chemistry 325: Chemical Thermodynamics (Spring 2012) Course Outline
Topics of importance in later lectures are in bold. In other words, they represent the main
“thread” of the course. Interesting results encountered 'along the way' are in italics. Topics
not easily found in standard texts are underlined.
1) Properties of Gases [Chapter 2 of McQuarrie and Simon]
M Jan.9 Overview of the course. Ideal gas law; P, R, T units [2-1.]; Dalton’s law.
W Jan.11 Nontrivial integrals (∫V dP) for ideal gases.
F Jan.13 Real gases: P-V diagram [2-2.]; Van der Waals equation [2-2.].
M Jan.16 {Martin Luther King Day}
W Jan.18 Critical values & reduced quantities [2-3.];
the principle of corresponding states of gases [2-4.].
2) The First Law of Thermodynamics [Ch. 5]
F Jan.20 Work w, heat q, and energy change ΔU [5-1.] in physics and chemistry.
M Jan.23 Calculating P-V work: Bullet, piston weight, friction;
chemical reactions in calorimeters.
W Jan.25 Heat capacity [3-4.] and ΔU; how to determine q.
F Jan.27 Inexact & exact differentials, line integrals [5-2.; Math Chapter D].
M Jan.30 Manipulating derivatives and differentials; Euler’s chain rule.
W Feb.1 Adiabatic expansion [5-4. & 5.]; the Otto combustion engine. (HW)
F Feb.3 Enthalpy H [5-7.]; heat capacities [5-8. & 9.].
Joule-Thompson cooling (HW).
M Feb.6 Enthalpy changes in phase transitions [5-7.].
W Feb.8 Hess’s Law; ΔH resulting from chemical reactions [5-10. to 12.].
F Feb.10 Bond energies; why combustions are exothermic: O 2 is the true fuel!
3) Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics [Ch. 6]
M Feb.13 The Second Law: Entropy is a state function [6-1. to 3.].
Entropy changes for various processes [7-1. & 5.]; entropy of mixing.
W Feb.15 Entropy and disorder; Trouton’s entropy change in phase transitions [7-3.];
review.
F Feb.17 Exam 1
M Feb.20 S(0 K): The Third Law of thermodynamics [Ch. 7].
Entropy changes in chemical reactions [7-9.].
W Feb.22 Heat engines and their maximum efficiency [6-7.]: Carnot cycle.
F Feb.24 Making heat flow from cold to hot: refrigerators.
M Feb.27 Reversible and spontaneous processes;
spontaneous processes and entropy increase in an isolated system [6-4.].
W Feb.29 The Clausius inequality written correctly [6-4.];
free energies and spontaneous processes [8-1. & 2.].
4) Helmholtz and Gibbs Free Energies [Ch. 8]
F Mar.2 Gibbs energy change & spontaneous chemical processes [8-1.].
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M Mar.5 Review of thermodynamic energies & their differential expressions [8-5.];
Maxwell relations [8-3. & 5.].
W Mar.7 The general equilibrium condition from chemical potentials.
The Fundamental Relation of chemical thermodynamics. Review.
F Mar.9 Exam 2
{M Mar.12, W Mar. 14, F Mar. 16: Spring break}
M Mar.19 T- and P-dependence of G [8-7. & 8.]; ΔG in phase transitions [p. 305/6].
W Mar.21 Gibbs energy of mixing [10-4.]; Gibbs-Helmholtz equation [8-7.].
5) The Chemical Potential [some in Ch. 10]
F Mar.23 The chemical potential µ i [9-3.] and spontaneous changes in composition;
Partitioning into two phases; osmotic pressure (HW) [11-4.];
G = Σ i µ i n i . [10-1.]; the Euler equation for U.
M Mar.26 Fugacity [8-8.]; liquid-liquid mixtures & their vapors; Raoult’s law [10-4.].
W Mar.28 Solution thermodynamics via the vapor chemical potential [10-3.];
Henry’s law [10-5.]; non-ideal solutions [10-6.];
activity & standard state [10-7. & 8.].
6) Chemical Equilibrium [Ch. 12]
F Mar.30 Gibbs energy and chemical equilibrium [12-1. & 4.].
M Apr.2 The equilibrium constant [12-2.].
W Apr.4 Calculating equilibrium constants [12-3.].
F Apr.6 Activity vs. concentration in chemical equilibria [12-11. & 12.].
7) Electrochemistry [Ch. 13]
M Apr.9 Derivation of the Nernst equation [13-4.].
W Apr.11 Using the Nernst equation [13-6.]; review.
F Apr.13 Exam 3
M Apr.16 Batteries and fuel cells [13-12.].
8) Phase Equilibria [Ch. 9]
W Apr.18 One-component phase diagrams [9-1.]; triple and critical points.
F Apr.20 The Clapeyron equation: Melting under pressure [9-3.].
M Apr.23 The Clausius-Clapeyron equation: Vapor-pressure curve P Vap (T) [9-4.].
W Apr.25 How to reach the critical point.
F Apr.27 Course review
M Apr.30 or W May 2 Likely dates of Final Exam
Note: The dates on which the material will be presented are tentative
(except for Exams 1-3).
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