Download CHEM 461 – Physical Chemistry Quantum Chemistry and

CHEM 461 – Physical Chemistry
Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy
Instructor:
Office:
Office hours:
Email:
Tim Kowalczyk
CB 241
M 11-12, T 3-4, F 2-3 or by appointment
[email protected]
Learning outcomes
Through active participation in this course, students will:
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Understand and explain the experimental evidence supporting quantum mechanics
Gain experience manipulating operators and wavefunctions to calculate observables
Develop facility with simple quantum models of translation, rotation, and vibration
Understand how atomic and molecular structure arises from quantum mechanics
Connect spectroscopic signatures to rotational, vibrational, and electronic transitions
Appreciate how emergent properties and rules-of-thumb in chemistry arise from quantum
mechanics
Course meetings:
Course website:
Textbook:
MTWF 10:00-10:50 AM in CB 386
access Canvas through your WWU universal account
Physical Chemistry: Thermodynamics, Structure and Change
Peter Atkins and Julio de Paula, 10e
This text is available in hardcover or split-volume paperback
formats. If you purchase the paperback format, only Volume 2 is
required; Volume 1 will be used in CHEM 462 and 463.
Prerequisites:
CHEM 123; MATH 224; PHYS 123
This course will make liberal use of concepts and tools from general chemistry, classical mechanics and
electromagnetism, and multivariable calculus.
Certain features of quantum mechanics are intimately tied to concepts covered in linear algebra and
differential equations, but such coursework is not a prerequisite. The relevant concepts will be covered
as the quarter progresses, with an emphasis on their physical interpretation.
Assessments
I. Active Participation
Course meetings will incorporate lecture, problem-solving sessions and discussions throughout the
quarter. Please complete the assigned reading on-schedule to help frame your questions during lecture
and to engage in problem-solving sessions and discussions.
II. Homework Assignments
Grading of homework is categorical:
0 = no submission or very incomplete work
1 = most problems attempted, but work contains substantial errors or is incomplete
2 = all problems attempted, work reflects understanding of underlying concepts
Solutions to the homework assignments will be posted on the course's Canvas website. Homework will
not be graded problem-by-problem, so it is your responsibility to check your work against the posted
solutions and to consult with your peers or with the instructor as needed. To allow for posting of
solutions as soon as possible, late homework will not be accepted unless you make
Peer collaboration on homework assignments is strongly encouraged, with two caveats:
 You must turn in your own work and provide credit to all collaborators.
 You will get the most out of assignments by attempting the problems on your own first.
III. Exams
Two midterm exams will be given during the class sessions of Friday, October 24 and Friday, November
14. The final exam is scheduled according to University policy on Tuesday, December 9 from 8:00-10:00
AM.
Your grade will be determined from a raw score consisting of points accrued as follows:
Component
Active participation
Homework (weekly)
Midterm 1
Midterm 2
Final exam:
Points
10
20
50
50
70
Weight
5%
10%
25%
25%
35%
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to have read and understood Western Washington University’s Academic
Honesty Policy and Procedure as outlined in Appendix D of the 2014-2015 University Catalog.
Schedule and Announcements
Reading assignments for the beginning of the quarter are available on Canvas and will be updated as
the quarter progresses.