Description of Course Goals and Curriculum
The course covered the following content: state functions and equilibrium, ideal and real gases and solutions, chemical statistics, partition functions, and kinetics.
The course started with the fundamental laws of thermodynamics and the related state functions, with homework and exam problems focusing on applications in physical problems as well as theoretical understanding. From there, the content narrowed in on statistical mechanics and molecular mechanisms. This macromolecular to atomic progression was very helpful in that concepts were introduced in understandable terms, and the latter half of the course gave a mathematical derivation.
The majority of the students in this course are Chemistry majors, who should have a helpful base of background knowledge – stoichiometry, basic phase behavior, etc. For non-Chemistry students, 200-level Chemistry should provide enough background.
For anyone with the required math background (MAT 104), the computations should be straightforward. Understanding the theory and modeling physical problems are the more challenging components of CHM 306. The best ways to study for tests are to work on problem sets and go over the conceptual questions in the textbook with a group of friends. The answers to these problems are normally available at office hours.
Learning From Classroom Instruction
In Lecture, the instructor presents the course material via PowerPoint. To get the most out of lecture, it is advisable to do the reading beforehand (since, as discussed earlier, the theoretical part of the course is difficult, and it’s the focus of the lectures).
By contrast, precept is centered on practice problems similar to the problem set and exam questions. Attending precept will give you experience with these types of problems.
Learning For and From Assignments
Understanding the function of course tasks and what learning methods and processes they require help students align their learning with instructional purposes. Assignments and tests are not only parts of the course where knowledge and skills are learned and practiced, but they (along with the criteria of evaluation) also reveal the skills and knowledge most valued in the course. Reflect on the prompts, questions or problems on exams and other assignments as well as the apparent grading criteria to clarify the kinds of knowledge and thinking skills valued in this course.
There are twelve problem sets, which are predominantly quantitative, with the goal of giving students practice using the equations derived in class. The best way to do the problem sets is with a group (some problems are more theoretical; these questions require more creative thinking, which groups are ideal for). There are also example problems in the textbook which mirror the questions on the problem set.
The instructor also requires students to submit one question from each reading assignment on Blackboard. The questions are addressed in the lecture slides and in a set of notes posted on Blackboard. This assignment is a great opportunity to ask questions without the inconvenience of office hours, and reading the questions asked by other students definitely increases understanding of the material. To take advantage of this assignment, make sure to complete the reading assignments thoroughly.
There are four exams for this class, each two hours long, closed book and closed notes. Equations are generally provided with a few exceptions. Studying for the exams requires a mix of conceptual and problem-solving practice. As discussed earlier, studying for conceptual problems is best done by practicing questions with a group and using office hours to check your answers.
For problem-solving practice, the textbook has questions at the end of each chapter with answers in the back of the book. Blackboard doesn’t have any practice problems or past exams, so this is the best opportunity for problem practice. Reworking old problem sets may also be useful.
External Resources
Googling the concepts discussed in lecture is a good way to increase comprehension (the instructor personally recommended Wikipedia). However, the textbook and lecture notes are sufficient.
What Students Should Know About This Course For Purposes Of Course Selection
This course attempts to teach introductory chemical thermodynamics, primarily for Chemistry majors. These skills are useful for anyone doing wet Chemistry lab work or studying reaction chemistry. However, as Physics, MAE, and CBE – the other classes which would use thermodynamics – have their own class for the topic with a more individualized approach, this course should appeal most strongly to Chemistry students.
The time demand is not large: roughly 30-45 min for weekly reading and 1-4 hours for the problem sets.