Chem 102

General Chemistry 102 for Engineers
Term Offered: Spring
Text(s): Required: Chemical Principles (4th Ed.) Steven S. Zumdahl.
Recommended: Study Guide and Selected Solutions Guide; CD-ROM (Sauders Interactive, Kotz & Vining);
Supplemental handouts:
Instructor(s): Professor Russell Composto, Room 401 LRSM, composto@lrsm.upenn.edu, 898-4451
Prerequisite(s):  
Grading:  
Course Home Page URL: http://courseweb.library.upenn.edu
Course Description: This course build upon the concepts and laws introduced in Chemistry 101, and applies new concepts to problems in chemical, biological and materials engineering. The course introduces the three laws of thermodynamics, which involve conservation of energy and spontaneous processes, and applies them to chemical, biochemical and physical equilibria. Next, chemical and biochemical kinetics are used to demonstrate that rates, not energy differences, control reactions and transformations. Electrochemical equilibria are utilized in modern technologies (e.g., fuel cells) and nature (e.g., reduction of Fe3+ in cytochrome c). Condensed matter, mechanical, chemical and biochemical examples are use throughout as well examples from nanotechnology and biotechnology.
Course Outline: 1. Thermodynamics I. (8 lectures; Chap. 9, 13.8, 10-10.6)
First law describes energy of rxn, calorimetry and heat evolution in rxn; mechanical, (bio)chemical, materials work; properties of state functions; enthalpy; Hess's law; reversible/irreversible processes; Entropy; Second law is chaos

Exam 1

2. Thermodynamics II. (2 lectures; Chaps. 10.7-10.13
Third law (spontaneous) predicts rxn direction; Gibbs Free Energy; What do we mean by "free energy?"; Standard FE change; reaction quotient; equilibrium in physical, mechanical and (bio)chemical rxns;

3. Equilibrium I: Gas and aqueous systems. (5 lectures; Chap. 6)
What is equilibrium?; equilibrium constant from law of mass action; describing equilibria using pressure; activity of substances; heterogeneous equilibria; solving equilibrium problems; Le Chatelier's Principle to describe how stress shifts equilibrium position of rxn's;

4. Equilibrium II: Acids, bases and buffers. (2 lectures; Chaps. 7-7.6 )
BrÆnsted-Lowry definition of acid and bases; acid dissociation constant, base dissociation constant; strong and weak acids and bases, pH scale; amphoteric character of water; identifying major species; pH of strong acid solutions; pH of weak acid solutions;

Exam II

5. Equilibrium III: Acids, bases ; Aqueous Equil. (7 lect.; Chaps. 7.7 - 7.11, 8)
Extension to polyprotic acids, salts in solution, contribution of water to [H+]; common ion; why buffered solutions resist pH changes; equilibrium in buffered solutions; titration to determine amount of acid/base in solution; acid-base indicators; solubility product; precipitation; formation constants and complex ion equilibria.

6. Chemical and Biochemical Kinetics. (6 lectures; Chap. 15)
Reaction rates; rate law; rate constant; differential rate law; integrated rate law; determining rate law from experimental data, method of initial rates; first order rate law; second order rate law, zero-order rate law, half-lives; reaction mechanisms, elementary steps; steady state approximation; collision model to discribe kinetics, activation barrier determines rate of conversion or transformation; why diamonds thermodynamically unstable but "kinetically" forever; Arrhenius postulate for activated processes; catalysis, enzymes, heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis

Exam III

7. Electrochemistry. (5 lectures; Chapter 11)
Oxidation and reduction; Galvanic cells; half-cell reactions; standard reduction potentials; cell potential, electrical work and free energy; Nernst equation; batteries and fuel cells; living cell potential; ion pumps & channels

8. Macromolecules. (3 lectures; Chapter 22.5-22.6; supplemental handouts)
synthetic and natural polymers; primary, secondary and tertiary structure; structure-property relationships.

Final Exam

Assessment Tools:
a) Weekly homework problems discussed in weekly recitations.
b) Three hour exams and one two hour final exam.
 


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