Chemistry 1410 – Physical Chemistry I

Instructor: Professor Kenneth D. Jordan

Rm: 330 Eberly Hall

Text: Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy by Thomas Engel

Lectures: Mon. and Wed. 7:00 PM – 12:15

Recitations:  Wed.: 7:30-8:15 PM

Office hours: Mon and Wed. 4:00-5:00

Grading: two 1 hr. exams (25% each); homeworks (10%), final exam (40%). All exams are open book, i.e., you can use your text and notes, but no other sources.  Makeup exams are permitted only in the case of medical emergencies.

We will be covering many important concepts that build on one another. As a result, you are strongly encouraged to attend all lectures and recitations.  

Week 1 (Aug. 25):                       Chpt. 1, the need for quantum mechanics

Week 2 (Aug. 27, Sept. 3):            Chpt. 2, the Schrodinger Eq.

Week 3 (Sept. 8, 10):                 Chpt. 3, postulates of QM

Week 4 (Sept. 15, 17):               Chpt. 4, QM of simple systems; Chpt. 5, particle in the box

Week 5 (Sept. 22, 24):            Chpt. 6, commuting operators

Week 6 (Sept. 29, Oct. 1):               Chpt. 7, QM of vibration and rotation; Exam 1 (Mon.)

Week 7 (Oct. 6, 8):               Chpt. 7, QM of vibration and rotation; Chpt. 8, vibr. and      rot. spectroscopy

Week 8 (Oct. 14, 15):           Chpt. 9, the H atom

Week 9 (Oct. 20,22):            Chpt. 10, many el. atoms; Chpt. 11, atomic spectroscopy

Week 10 (Oct. 27, 29):           Chpt. 12, H₂⁺ and H₂

Week 11 (Nov. 3, 5):             Chpt. 13, bonding in diatomics, Exam 2, (Mon.)

Week 12 (Nov. 10, 12):          Chpt. 16, computational chemistry

Week 13 (Nov. 17, 19):                Chpt. 14, molecular structure

Week 14 (Nov 27, Dec. 1):            Chpt. 15, electronic spectroscopy

Week 15 (Dec. 3)                     Chpt. 17, 18, selected topics in symmetry and NMR spectroscopy

Week 16 (Dec. 8):                    Final Exam (6:00 PM)