Chemistry 553 Homepage

CHEMISTRY 553
Molecular Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics

Winter 2011

Instructor

Dr. Glenn T. Evans

Gilbert Hall 104

737-6717

glenn.evans@oregonstate.edu

Office Hours

Tuesday and Thursday 1 - 2 pm

Course Information

The laws of chemical thermodynamics and the postulates of statistical mechanics will be applied to analyze properties of gases, gas mixtures, liquid solutions, fluctuations, critical phenomena, and polymers. The approach is part thermodynamics, part statistical mechanics, linked by mathematics. Dill and Bromberg construct a non-standard but interesting view of how statistical thermodynamics affects chemistry and biology.

Prerequisites

one year of physical chemistry

Course Structure

Three credit-hour course

Terms Offered

Not offered every year

Lecture

9-10am MWF Milam 234

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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Textbook

Ken A. Dill and Sabrina Bromberg, Molecular Driving Forces, 2^nd ed., Garland science, NY (2010).

Class Syllabus

week	topic	assignments
1	Extremum principles and math methods	ch 2-4
2	Entropy, fundamental equation	ch 5-7, problem set 1
3	Free energy, Maxwell relations	ch 8-9
4	Thermo cycles, free energies	problem set 2
5	Stat mechanics and heat capacities	ch 10-11
6	Stat mechanics and chemical equilibrium	problem set 3, exam
7	Solutions and solvation	ch 14-16
8	Intermolecular forces	ch 24-25, problem set 4
9	Non-ideal fluids and phase transitions	ch 25-26
10	Liquid crystals and Landau expansions	problem set 5