CHEM 2360 (C20C) Basic Physical Chemistry

Course Outline Description

This is an advanced level four (4) credit chemistry course with a total of 24 lectures, 12

tutorials and 6 laboratory sessions. The material covers Electrochemistry (weeks 1-5); Gases,

Liquids and Solids, Surface and Colloid Chemistry (weeks 5-10); and Nuclear Chemistry (weeks

11-12). The course is currently offered in Semester I of the academic year.

A candidate for this course should have a clear understanding of the physical chemistry theory

covered at level I. If you feel uncertain or rusty in those areas a thorough review of that

material is advised before the start of this course. Laboratory sessions for this course are 5

hours and are administered in weeks seven through twelve of the semester. There are three

possible laboratory sessions per week. Students, working in pairs, select one of these sessions

weekly. Please be reminded that attendance at laboratory sessions and satisfactory

performance are very important. Even though the laboratory component of the course may

contribute only 20% to the final mark, failure in this part will result in failure in the entire

course.

Purpose

This is a core course for anyone pursuing a major or minor in chemistry. The course gives an

understanding of the basic principles of physical chemistry required for any chemist. The

knowledge and understanding gained in this course are required in CHEM 3367 and CHEM

3562.

Instructor Information

Instructor: Dr. Ann Wilson Mr. Nigel John

Mr. Jason Toney Dr. David Stevenson

Section: Electrochemistry

Gases, Liquids & Solids,

Surface & Colloid

Chemistry

Nuclear Chemistry

Room #: 313, C1 Building PG Labs, C1 Building 318, C1 Building

Tel. Ext.: 2283, 3570 3545, 3570 3260, 3570

e-mail: Ann.Wilson@sta.uwi.edu Nigel.John@sta.uwi.edu

Jason.Toney@sta.uwi.edu David.Stevenson@sta.uwi.edu

Office Hours:

Mon—3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Tue—10:00 am – 12:00 noon

& Fri:—9:00 – 10:00 a.m. TBA TBA

Snail Mail: Department of Chemistry The University of The West Indies St. Augustine Campus Agostini Street St. Augustine Trinidad, W.I.

Tel: 868 662 2002 ext as listed above Fax: 868 645 3771

CHEM 2360 Course Outline 10/11 — Dept. of Chem., St. Augustine Campus, The UWI - 2 - 10-Aug-10

Content (Nuclear Chemistry)

The Nuclear Chemistry section consists of the following:

(i) The nucleus, its components and dimensions. Nuclear forces. Isotopes, isotones,

isomers, isobars. Neutron proton ratio and its, importance, mass defect and binding

energy.

(ii) Radioactive decay including and emissions and decay kinetics.

(iii) Nuclear reactions including neutron capture, fission and fusion.

(iv) Nuclear models including the shell and liquid drop modes, nuclear structure and magic

numbers.

(v) Instrumentation – proportional and G-M counters in particular.

(vi) Applications of Radionuclides including C dating neutron activation analysis and

radiometric titrations.

(vii) Interaction of Radiation with matter – radiation chemistry.

Content (Gases, Liquids & Solids)

The Gases, Liquids & Solids section consists of the following:

(i) Intermolecular forces including electrostatic interactions, chemical bonding and

dispersion (Van der Waals) forces. The use of the Lennard-Jones potential.

(ii) Equations of state for non-ideal gases.

(iii) Experimental results on the nature of simple liquids and of water, a complex liquid.

Liquids considered as dense gases and as disordered solids.

(iv) Binding energy of ionic, covalent and metallic solids, Electrical properties of solids and a

comparison of insulators, semiconductors and metals. Magnetic properties of solids -

para- and ferro-magnestism.

(v) Mechanical properties of solids, liquids and gases including a definition of Young's

modulus for solids and viscosity of liquids and gases.

Content (Surface & Colloid Chemistry)

The Surface & Colloid Chemistry section consists of the following:

(i) Colloidal phenomena. Polydispersity and molecular weight determination. The

preparation of colloidal dispersions. Dialysis. Surfactants and micelles. Donnan

membrane equilibria. Double layer theory and electrokinetic phenomena.

(ii) Physical adsorption and chemisorption. The Freundlich, Langmuir and BET isotherms.

The determination of surface area of adsorbents.

Content (Electrochemistry)

The electrochemistry section consists of four units which are broken down as follows:

Unit 1:Unit 1:Unit 1:Unit 1: Electrochemical CellsElectrochemical CellsElectrochemical CellsElectrochemical Cells

1.1 Review redox reactions terminology,

1.2 Half reactions and electrodes and varieties of cells,

1.3 Standard potentials, reference electrodes, thermodynamic aspects of electrochemical

cells, the electrochemical series, sign conventions, concentration cells,

1.4 Nernst equation, concentration cells with and without liquid junctions,

CHEM 2360 Course Outline 10/11 — Dept. of Chem., St. Augustine Campus, The UWI - 3 - 10-Aug-10

Unit 2:Unit 2:Unit 2:Unit 2: Applications of standard potentialsApplications of standard potentialsApplications of standard potentialsApplications of standard potentials

2.1 The measurement of pH (ion-selective electrodes), measurement of pKa,

Unit 3:Unit 3:Unit 3:Unit 3: Conductivity, ion mobility, transport numbersConductivity, ion mobility, transport numbersConductivity, ion mobility, transport numbersConductivity, ion mobility, transport numbers

3.1 Electrical conductivity of ionic solutions, conductimetric titration

3.2 Faraday’s laws, Oswald’s law of dilution, Kohlrausch’s Law of the Independent

Migration of Ions, Debye-Hückel theory

Unit Unit Unit Unit 4444:::: Industrial ElectrochemistryIndustrial ElectrochemistryIndustrial ElectrochemistryIndustrial Electrochemistry

4.1 Primary, storage and fuel cells

4.2 Industrial production: Chlor-Alkali electrolysis; Aluminium smelting

Goals

On completion of the electrochemistry section the candidates should have and

appreciation for:

� how electrochemistry impacts their daily lives;

� the relevance of electrochemical processes in industry;

Learning Outcomes

On completion of these four units the learner will be able to:

� Draw, with labelled parts, an electrochemical cell given the overall reaction.

� Covert a drawing of an electrochemical cell to standard notation.

� Use a table of standard electrode potentials to determine the oxidation and reduction

half reaction of a given reaction.

� Calculate the overall standard cell potential of a given cell using the electrochemical

series.

� Determine if a reaction will proceed spontaneously under stated conditions by

application of the Gibbs free energy function and its relationship to the cell potential.

� Calculate the equilibrium constant of a cell using the relationship between K and cell

potential.

� Differentiate between Galvanic and Electrolytic cells and indicate when each should be

used.

� Transpose experimental conditions using different reference electrodes.

� Use the Nernst Equation to calculate cell potentials under non-standard conditions.

� Calculate the third entity given any two of the three entities E˚, ∆G, or K.

� Construct a concentration cell.

� Devise a cell for the measurement of pH.

� Calculate the pH of a solution given a set of experimental data.

� Evaluate a set of conductimetric titration experimental data and indicate the types of

electrolytes present.

� Justify the electrical conductivities noted for a range of given solutions at varying

concentrations in terms of ion mobility.

� Differentiate between primary, storage and fuel cells and how these cells function.

� List the steps in the production of aluminium.

� Calculate the theoretical amount of metal deposited in an electrochemical deposition

given the current applied.

CHEM 2360 Course Outline 10/11 — Dept. of Chem., St. Augustine Campus, The UWI - 4 - 10-Aug-10

Coursework Assignment

A single laboratory report per pair is to be handed in for each experiment conducted. There

will be six laboratory sessions in total. Reports are due at 1:00 p.m. on the same lab day but

one week following the date the particular experiment was carried out. The laboratory report

will be marked out of ten with at least four marks going to the discussion. Reports are

deemed late as of 1:30 p.m. of the particular laboratory day. There will be a one mark

deduction for every day or part thereof late including Saturday and Sunday. You are strongly

urged to hand in laboratory reports on time. Instructions as to the preparation of laboratory

reports are given in the Laboratory Manual.

Assessment

20% Coursework (Laboratory mark only) 80% Final Examination

There will be a two hour final exam, which will consist of six questions from which four must be

attempted.

Teaching Strategies

A combination of lectures including the use of PowerPoint presentations, directed classroom

group discussion, pair-share on classroom questions, worksheets, group work on tutorials, and

laboratory experiments will be used in this one semester course.

Resources

Textbook:

Atkins, Peter & de Paula, Julio Physical Chemistry, 8th Edition Oxford University Press, 2006200620062006,

UK

Additional Reading

Smith, E.B. Basic Chemical Thermodynamics 5th Edition, Imperial College Press, 2004200420042004, London,

UK.

Skoog, D. A.; West, D. M.; Holler, J. F.; Crouch, A.R. Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry. 8th

Edition, Brooks/Cole—Thomas Learning, CA, 2004200420042004, USA, Chapters 18 & 19.

Hibbert, Brynn D. Introduction to Electrochemistry, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York,

1993199319931993, USA

Bard, A.J.; Faulkner L. R. Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications, Wiley, New

York 1980198019801980.