CHEMISTRY 309 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR
STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

FALL 2008

This course, in combination with CHM 307, Chemical Thermodynamics, constitutes a standard year-long introduction to the sub-discipline of chemistry known as physical chemistry. The sequence CHM 307, CHM 309 satisfies entry requirements for graduate programs that require a year of physical chemistry, and the two-course sequence meets the American Chemical Society's physical chemistry requirement for an ACS-approved BA/BS degree in chemistry or biochemistry.

Pre/co-requisites for CHM 309 are

A year of general chemistry,

Two semesters of calculus, and

Two semesters of college-level physics, preferably a physics course that uses calculus.

If you have not completed the prerequisite courses, you should consult the instructor before registering for CHM 309.

In physical chemistry we study the relationships between fundamental physical laws and the behavior of atoms and molecules in many practical settings, using the tools of algebra and elementary calculus. Our intent is to develop an understanding of why chemical substances behave as they do, and to develop an ability to predict how matter will behave under a variety of conditions. The subject matter of physical chemistry addresses practical problems encountered in all the other sub-fields of chemistry as well as in related fields such as biology, geology and environmental science.

The primary focus of CHM 309 is elementary quantum theory and its uses in understanding the electronic structure of atoms, chemical bonding, molecular structures, atomic and molecular energetics, chemical reactivity (dynamics), and the interactions between matter and different forms of electromagnetic radiation (spectroscopy, diffraction and photochemistry). A second focus of the course is the statistical treatment of the structure and reactivity of matter, a sub-field of chemistry known as statistical thermodynamics. A third focus is a mathematical construct known as group theory, based on linear algebra, which simplifies the understanding and description of many of the applications of quantum theory to chemical problems.

In some parts of the course, we will start from basic laws of physics and derive mathematical representations of the behavior of matter that are amenable to experimental verification. In other parts of the course, we will work in the other direction, from observable or measurable behavior of matter to a discovery of the fundamental laws that govern such behavior. Throughout, we will recognize that our understanding of nature is evolving and incomplete, and that significant breakthroughs to better understanding will likely occur during your careers – and hopefully even through your own work.