CHEM 4531: Physical Chemistry II Fall 2011 J. M. Weber

Technicalities(1) Requirements: –CHEM 4511 or 4411 –PHYS 1120 or 2020 –recommended: firm grasp of algebra, complex numbers, calculus, differential equations Class hours: MWF 09:00 am to 09:50 am Office Hours: M: 5 pm – 6 pm TF: 10:30 am – 11:30 am

Technicalities(2) Locations: –JILA tower A709 –phone – –web site: Exam schedule: –Two-hour exams: September 22, October 20, December pm, locations TBA –Final Exam: date, time, and location TBA

Technicalities(3) Problem sets (homework): –usually handed out (i.e. posted on course web site) on Wednesdays, to be returned the following Wednesdays before class –homework will be graded by graduate student TA Mirvat Abdelhaq. –credits accumulated over the semester determine your homework performance grade. Everyone may drop one homework assignment without penalty. Travel: Due to professional travel, there will be no lecture on Nov. 16. As the 2-hr exams are held outside of class hours, up to two more lectures may be cancelled.

Technicalities(4) Additional lectures (voluntary): Cover some material in more depth, review some math and physics, do some computer experiments to enhance learning. Some Thursdays 6 pm – 7 pm, will be announced. Location: EKLC E1B50 Final grades: –homework performance: 40% –clicker questions (participation) 5% –average of the two-hour-exams: 30% –final exam: 25%

Technicalities(5) Textbooks: Required: Donald A. McQuarrie “ Physical Chemistry” Please note that reading material will be part of homework and relevant for exams. Optional: James R. Barrante “Applied Mathematics for Physical Chemistry” Science Education Research How do people learn quantum mechanics?  Program funded by the National Science Foundation  Graduate student researcher in charge: Callie Cole  Your cooperation will help future generation of students  I will not see individual results from your input, only class average

Clicker Questions and PowerPoint Slides will be posted on the course web site! Homework Assignments This Week Read McQuarrie & Simon, Chapters 1, A, 2, B before Wednesday, August 31 Problem Set 1: Mathematics due before class on Friday, August 26 Problem Set 2 will be posted on Wednesday, August 24 due before class on Wednesday, August 31 Additional Lecture This Week: A Refresher on Complex Numbers

Developing the Vocabulary of Quantum Mechanics: The Particle in a Box Vibrating Molecules: The QM Harmonic Oscillator The QM Description of the H-Atom Multielectron Atoms Molecular Bonding Spectroscopy From QM to Thermodynamics on a Molecular Level: Statistical Mechanics MASTERY OF THE KNOWN UNIVERSE (Graduate Course) Where Classical Physics Fails … Rotating Molecules: The QM Rigid Rotator

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