Chemistry 1410 – Physical Chemistry I

Instructor: Professor Kenneth D. Jordan

Rm: 330 Eberly Hall

Text: Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy by Thomas Engel

Lectures: Tues. and Thurs. 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

Recitations:  Tues.: 3:00-3:50 PM

Office hours: Tues. and Wed. 2:00-3:00

Grading: two 1 hr. exams (25% each); homeworks (10%), final exam (40%). All exams are open book, i.e., you can use your text and notes, but no other sources.  Makeup exams are permitted only in the case of medical emergencies.

We will be covering many important concepts that build on one another. As a result, you are strongly encouraged to attend all lectures and recitations.  

Week 1 (Jan. 5):                    Chpt. 1, the need for quantum mechanics

Week 2 (Jan 10,12):              Chpt. 2, the Schrodinger Eq.

Week 3 (Jan. 17,19):             Chpt. 3, postulates of QM

Week 4 (Jan. 24,26):             Chpt. 4, QM of simple systems; Chpt. 5, particle in the box

Week 5 (Jan. 3, Feb. 2):        Chpt. 6, commuting operators

Week 6 (Feb. 7,9):                Chpt. 7, QM of vibration and rotation; Exam 1 (Thu.)

Week 7 (Feb. 14,16):            Chpt. 7, QM of vibration and rotation; Chpt. 8, vibr. and      rot. spectroscopy

Week 8 (Feb. 21, 23):           Chpt. 9, the H atom

Week 9 (Feb. 28, Mar. 1):     Chpt. 10, many el. atoms; Chpt. 11, atomic spectroscopy

Week 10 (Mar. 13, 15):         Chpt. 12, H₂⁺ and H₂

Week 11 (Mar. 20,22):          Chpt. 12, bonding in diatomics, Exam 2, (Thu.)

Week 12 (Mar. 27,29):         Chpt. 13, bonding in polyatomics

Week 13 (Apr. 3, 5):            Chpt. 14, electronic spectroscopy

Week 14 (Apri. 10,12):         Chpt. 15, computational chemistry

Week 15 (Apr. 17,19):          Chpt. 16, symmety

Week 16 (Apr. 23):                Final Exam (noon)