California Institute of Technology

Department of Chemistry

Fall 2007



Ch 21a. The Physical Description of Chemical Systems

9 units (3-0-6); first, second, third terms. Prerequisites: Ch 1 ab, Ph 2 ab, Ma 2 ab. Atomic and molecular quantum mechanics, spectroscopy, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and chemical kinetics. Instructors: McKoy, Blake, Okumura.

 

Time:

MWF 13:00 - 13:50

 

 

 

 

 

Location:

147 Noyes

(151 Crellin while 147 Noyes is under construction)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructor:

 

B. Vincent McKoy
Professor of Theoretical Chemistry
120 Noyes
mckoy@caltech.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teaching Assistants:

 

Jonathan Mueller
Graduate Student
10 Noyes
jmueller@caltech.edu

Chang Ho Sohn

Graduate Student

36 Noyes

sohn@caltech.edu

Patrick Theofanis

Graduate Student

BI

ptheofan@caltech.edu

 

 Yu Liu
Graduate Student
4 Noyes
yul@caltech.edu

 Laurence Yeung

Graduate Student

101 Noyes

lyeung@caltech.edu

 

 

 

Textbook:

Required:      Molecular Quantum Mechanics by P. Atkins and R. Friedman (4th edition)

 

 

 

 

Syllabus/Class Expectations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recitation/Office Hours Schedule: 

 

 

 

Monday 3-4 pm in 132 Noyes

 

 

 

Monday 6-7 pm in 132 Noyes

 

 

 

Tuesday 8-9 pm in 151 Crellin

 

 

 

Thursday 3-4 pm in 132 Noyes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grading Policy:

 Homework, the midterm and the final exam will each count as 1/3 of the final grade in the class.  There will be a homework assignment each week.  The homework assignments will be due one week from the date they are handed out.  Homework scores will be penalized 20% for each day they are late.

 

 

 Problem Sets & Solutions:

 Students are NOT to consult problem sets, exams, and solutions from previous years.

 

 

 

Assignment 1 – Assigned October 3, 2007

 

Assignment 2 – Assigned October 10, 2007

 

Assignment 3 – Assigned October 17, 2007

 

Assignment 4 – Assigned October 24, 2007

 

Midterm Practice Problems

 

Midterm – Distributed November 2, 2007

 

Assignment 5 –Assigned November 9, 2007

 

Assignment 6 –Assigned November 16, 2007

 

Assignment 7 –Assigned November 28, 2007

 

Final Exam Practice Problems (complete)

 

 

Solutions 1 – Due October 10, 2007

 

Solutions 2 – Due October 17, 2007

 

Solutions 3 – Due October 24, 2007

 

Solutions 4 – Due October 31, 2007

 

 

 

Midterm Solutions – Due November 9, 2007

 

Solutions 5 – Due November 16, 2007

 

Solutions 6 – Due November 28, 2007

 

Solutions 7 – Due December 5, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examinations & Solutions:

Exam Information: 

The Final Exam will be distributed on December 10, 2007 & due by 5pm on December 14, 2007 outside Noyes 120.

There will be a review session in Crellin 151 on December 10 at 1pm.

Study Guide on Term Symbols for Diatomic Molecules

 

 

 

 

Class Resources:

 

 

 

 

 

          Other Textbooks

·        Quantum Physics of Atoms, Molecules, Solids, Nuclei, and Particles by R. Eisberg and Robert Resnick. 

·        Quantum Mechanics by D. Griffiths

·        Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy by T. Engel.

 

 

          Helpful Websites

www.nist.gov - a useful site for constants

 

http://www.oup.com/uk/booksites/content/0199274983/ - Website for the class text.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions or comments to: chem21a@its.caltech.edu