Course Schedule, Exams, Reading and Homework
-The course website is at https://gruebele-group.chemistry.illinois.edu/courses/chem-440
-Dates: Check below for dates of all lectures, exams, reviews, Gruebele’s office hours!
-Lecture: MWF at 10-10:50 AM in 165 Noyes Lab. The title summarizes the lecture content.
-Reading: There is no textbook, full course notes are at the web site, covering O = overview, Q = quantum, S = stat mech & quantum, T = transport and kinetics. For example, “Q1 p1-3” = read Quantum notes Chapter 1, pages 1 through 3.
-OH: Gruebele office hours. Generally on Fridays at 11-12:30 in-person, or by appointment if needed.
-Homework: All homework is listed in the course notes. Solutions are posted already, so you can peek at them if you get stuck. Do all homework, but only the green problems must be turned in for grading and credit. Assignments are due at 5 PM after the first class of the next week. (example: if three green problems O1.1, O1.2, and O1.4 are assigned on various days in week 1, they are due on Monday of week 2 by 5 PM, but you should also do the remaining problem O1.3 from the assigned reading).
-Hour exam and final exam questions The questions are modified homework problems, in-class exercises, and thought experiments, listed in the course notes so keep up with all of them every week!
|
Date |
Lecture |
Reading |
OH |
Homework |
|
8/22 L1 Dr. P |
The goals of pchem; averages, derivative models |
O1 p1-3
|
|
Do O1.1 |
|
8/24 L2 Dr. P |
Randomness, Bayesian inference |
O1 p3-5
|
|
Do O1.2, O1.3 |
|
8/26 L3 Dr. P |
Why logarithms? Complex numbers |
O1 p 6-7 |
|
Do O1.4 |
|
8/29 L4 |
Why go ‘quantum’? Music and quantum mechanics |
Q1 p1-3 |
|
Do Q1.1 Play with MD demo |
|
8/31 L5 |
The Postulates of quantum mechanics |
Q1 p4-5 |
|
Do Q1.2
|
|
9/2 L6 |
Some consequences of the postulates |
Q1 p6-7 |
11-12:30 |
Do Q1.3 |
|
9/7 L7 |
Of molecules and springs |
Q2 p8-10 |
|
Do Q2.1, Q2.2 Play with QM demo |
|
9/9 L8 Dr. P |
Weird properties of quantum springs |
Q2 p10-12 |
11-12:30 |
Do Q2.3, Q 2.4
|
|
9/12 L9 |
Electron in a box as a simple model for molecules |
Q3 p13-15 |
|
Do Q3.1 |
|
9/14 L10 |
The simplest atom: H |
Q3 p16-17 |
|
Do Q3.2 |
|
9/16 L11 |
The simplest molecule: H2+ |
Q4 p18-19
|
11-12:30 |
Do Q4.1 |
|
9/19 L12 |
The forbidden region and quantum interference: bonding and antibonding |
Q4 p19-20 |
|
Do Q4.2 |
|
9/21 L13 |
Multi-electron molecules |
Q4 p21-22 |
|
Do Q4.3 |
|
9/23 L14 |
Potential surfaces and absorbing/emitting light |
Q5 p23-24 |
11-12:30 |
Do Q5.1 |
|
9/26 L15 |
Can spectroscopy detect alien life? |
Q5 p25-26 |
|
Do Q5.2, Q5.3 |
|
9/28 L16 |
How do chemical reactions go over barriers? |
Q5 p27-28 |
|
Do Q5.4 |
|
9/30 L17 |
From mechanics to statistical mechanics |
S1 p1-3 |
11-12:30 |
Do S1.1 |
|
10/3 L18 |
The Postulates of statistical mechanics |
S2 p4-5 |
|
Do S2.1 |
|
10/5 L19 |
The microcanonical partition function |
S2 p6-7 |
|
Do S2.2 |
|
10/7 L20 |
Entropy and deriving the ‘laws’ of thermodynamics |
S2 p8-9 |
11-12:30 |
Do S2.3 |
|
10/10 L21 |
What is temperature? |
S3 p10-12 |
|
Do S3.1, S3.2 |
|
10/12 |
In-class review for HE1 |
- |
|
- |
|
10/14 Exam |
Hour Exam #1, covers L1-17, 10-11 AM in 1024 Chem Annex In-class, open notes and homework solutions |
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|
10/17 L22 |
Thermodynamic potentials E, F, G and H |
S3 p12-14 |
|
Do S3.3, S3.4 |
|
10/19 L23 |
Heat flow, heat capacity and thermo calculations |
S3 p14-15 |
|
Do S3.5, S3.6, S3.7, S3.8 |
|
10/21 L24 |
Reactions at constant temperature |
S4 p16-18 |
11-12:30 |
Do S4.1 |
|
10/24 L25 Dr. P |
Folding proteins with statistical mechanics |
S4 p19-20 |
|
Do S4.2 |
|
10/26 L26 |
Solving problems with the partition function |
S4 p21-22 |
|
Do S4.3, S4.4 |
|
10/28 L27 |
Chemical equilibrium |
S5 p23-24 |
11-12:30 |
Do S5.1, S5.2, S5.3 |
|
10/31 L28 |
Mass action law |
S5 p25-26 |
|
Do S5.4 |
|
11/2 L29 |
Calculating Keq from first principles |
S5 p27-28 |
|
Do S5.5 |
|
11/4 L30 |
Moving molecules: Brownian motion |
S6 p29-30 |
11-12:30 |
Do S6.1 |
|
11/7 L31 |
Moving molecules: drift and flux |
S6 p30-32 |
|
Do S6.2 |
|
11/9 L32 |
Chemical transport and kinetics: postulates |
T1 p1-2 |
|
Do T1.1 |
|
11/11 L33 |
Equilibrium, steady state, and Boltzmann factor |
T1/2 p3-5 |
11-12:30 |
Do T1.2 |
|
11/14 L34 |
Deriving transport: Fick’s, Faraday’s, and Ohm’s laws |
T2 5-6 |
|
Do T2.1, T2.2 |
|
11/16 |
In-class review for HE2 |
- |
|
- |
|
11/18 Exam |
Hour Exam #2, covers L18-30, 10-11 AM in 1024 Chem Annex In-class, open notes and homework solutions |
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|
11/28 L35 |
Nernst equation, Osmosis and the ‘Master Table’ |
T2 7-9 |
|
Do T2.3, T2.4, T2.5 |
|
11/30 L36 |
Integrated flux and Le Châtelier’s Principle |
T3 10-11 |
|
Do T3.1 |
|
12/2 L37 |
Activated rate theory I |
T3 12-13 |
11-12:30 |
Do T3.2 |
|
12/5 L38 |
Activated rate theory II |
T3 13-14 |
|
Do T3.3 |
|
12/7 Review |
In-class review Evening review with TAs
|
Review all course notes |
|
No homework assigned |
|
Final Exam: 8:00 -11:00 on Thursday Dec. 15, covers all material, open notes and homework solutions. Location: TBA |
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