Syllabus CHEM 3514
Spring 2016
Physical Chemistry II
Chemical thermodynamics, phase equilibria, chemical equilibrium; introduction to the structure and properties of solution, liquid state and solid state; and chemical kinetics. Lecture and recitation 4 hours per week.
Prerequisite: 3504
Teaching Staff:
Lecturer: Prof. Feng Wang Office: CHEM 216
Phone: 479-575-5625 Email: fengwang@uark.edu
Office hours: Mon, Tue, Thu 10:30 to 11:30 am
Class Hours and Location:
Mon, Tue, Thu, 9:40 am to 10:30 am, CHEM 144
Discussion:
Fri, 9:40 am to 10:30 am, CHEM 144 (May be used as lecture time)
Text
Required:
Physical Chemistry Quanta, Matter & Change
by
Peter Atkins, Julio de Paula, Ron Friedman,
Publisher: W. H. Freeman, 2nd ed., 2014
Supplemental (Optional):
Physical Chemistry, by Thomas Engel and Philip Reid, 3rd Edition.
Both books are on reserve at the Chemistry Library.
Exams:
(There will be three mid-term exams and a cumulative final exam)
Exam I Feb 25th, Thursday 9:30 to 10:45
Exam II Mar 31st, Thursday 9:30 to 10:45
Exam III Apr 28th, Thursday 9:30 to 10:45
Final Exam May 11th, Wednesday, 8:00 am-10:00 am
Grade Distribution
Midterm Exams 30%
Final Exam 20%
Problem Sets 40%
Participation and Quizzes 10%
Attendance
This course includes three 50 minutes lectures and one 50 minute discussion. Attendance is required for all lectures and discussions. Pop quizzes will be given in classes and discussions.
If a quiz or exam is missed due to documented health reasons or an official university function, your grade will be scaled to compensate for the missing work except for the final exam. Advanced notice is required for missed quizzes or exams in writing (by email), although you may furnish the required documentation afterwards.
Homework
Homework is due Thursdays before the discussion. The exact due date will be written on the homework set.
For every 24 hour your homework is past due. 25% of the credit will be deducted. Homework overdue for more than 48 hours will only receive 25% of the credit. Late homework must be handed in. Otherwise you may receive a fail or incomplete for the class. Grade penalty for late homework will be applied even for health reasons or official university function. Thus, it is not advisable to start working on the homework very close to the due date. I will not answer questions regarding homework within 24 hour of the time you are expected to turn in the homework.
Reading and Review Requirement
You should complete your first round of readings before attending the lecture! It helps you to get the most from the lectures if you come the class prepared. Feel free to ask questions you encountered during the reading in lecture or in discussion. All questions are valued and there is no question that is a bad question.
After the lecture, please briefly review what you have learned during class within 12 hours after the lecture. Review while the material is still fresh will help you remember the most important concepts.
You should re-read materials from the text and re-derive (in writing!) proofs from lecture or from the text before you undertake problem sets.
Automatic Failure: You must turn in all homework sets. Failure to do so may result in a grade of "Fail" or "Incomplete".
Study Groups
Students are encouraged to form study groups to discuss the homework problems. However, each individual is expected the complete the homework on their own. Outright copying of solutions from another student, the internet or a book is NOT permissible.
If you can’t explain how to solve the problem to someone else, you do not deserve to receive the credits on the homework.
Personal Electronics Policy
Please mute your cell phone during class and exams. Repeated offenders may be requested to leave the room. Access social media websites, such as tweeter and facebook, on any personal device during class is forbidden. You should not use your personal electronic devices (laptop, tablet, smart phone) for anything unrelated to the class during the lectures. A better time to look up pchem concepts online is after the lectures. The use of tablets to write notes is acceptable.
Academic Conduct
Plagiarism and other forms of cheating are serious offenses with severe consequences. Violations will be will be dealt with harshly and addressed according to established university policy.
Important Dates
Tuesday, Jan. 19th (First day of instruction)
Thursday, Feb. 25th (Exam 1)
Monday, Mar. 21, (no class, Spring break)
Tuesday, Mar. 22, (no class, Spring break)
Thursday, Mar. 24, (no class, Spring break)
Friday, Mar. 25, (no class, Spring break)
Thursday, Mar. 31st (Exam 2)
Thursday, Apr. 28th (Exam 3)
Thursday, May. 4th (Last Day of Instruction)
Wednesday, May. 11th (Final Exam, Tentative)
A Final Word
The course will emphasize conceptual understanding instead of memorization of facts. You are expected to think about the materials taught rather than trying to remember a recipe and learn to do questions following the recipe. I emphasize WHY and HOW rather than WHAT.
I am not trying to teach you a collection of facts but a way of exploring the unknown. The objective of the course is not only teaching you the ideas of physical chemistry, but will also developing your skills in problem solving. Even if you eventually forget every fact learned in this course, these skills will serve you well for the rest of your life.