Syllabus

Physical Chemistry II (CHM 3411)

Spring 2009

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Instructor: David Chatfield, CP 336, 305-348-3977, David.Chatfield@fiu.edu, www.fiu.edu/~chatfiel.

 

Office Hours: W 3:00-5:00 P.M.

 

Class Time and Place: MWF 12:00-1:15 P.M., GC 280.

 

Texts: Required: Peter Atkins and Julio de Paula, Atkins’ Elements of Physical Chemistry, 8th Ed., Freeman, New York, 2006, ISBN 0-7167-8759-8.  Recommended: James R. Barrante, Applied Mathematics for Physical Chemistry, 3rd Ed., Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2004, ISBN 0-13-10084505.

 

Prerequisites: CHM 3410, 3410L (Physical Chemistry I with lab)

 

Course Description: Quantum mechanics is the semester’s topic.  After a careful introduction to the principles, we will build to the subjects of atomic and molecular orbitals, chemical bonding, and spectroscopy.

 

Grading:  Grading will be based on two Exams (50%), a Final Exam (40%), and Homework (10%).  The Final Exam will be comprehensive.  Homework will be graded on a check, check-minus, or nothing basis.

 

Homework:  Problem sets will be assigned most Fridays and will be due in class the following Friday.  Late homework will not be accepted.  Problem sets and their solutions will be posted on my website (see above).  Be sure to keep up with the homework.  Only by doing it will you solidify your learning.

 

Course Outline

Chapter          Topic

8                      Quantum theory: introduction and principles

9                      Quantum theory: techniques and applications

10                    Atomic structure and atomic spectra

11                    Molecular structure

12                    Molecular symmetry

13                    Molecular spectroscopy 1: rotational and vibrational spectra

14                    Molecular spectroscopy 2: electronic transitions

15                    Molecular spectroscopy 3: magnetic resonance