CHEM 684: Thermodynamics
Fall 2024 by Dr. Zhiwei Li
This is the course page for Chemical Thermodynamics, taught by Dr. Zhiwei Li in Fall 2024. Relevant links, course materials, and references will be uploaded here. I will also upload homework/exam problem sets here (but likely not their solutions except those for midterms and final exam). The class will be in-person in classroom. You should try to attend the class and engage in discussions if you want full participation points (see syllabus for details).
Syllabus: Fall 2024
Instructor: Email:
Dr. Zhiwei Li
Office: 1130 New Chemistry Building
Lecture: Tu Th 1100-1215 Chem 2201
Web: https://zhiweili028.wixsite.com/zhiweili/chem684
Required textbook: (1) Thermodynamics – H. Callen ISBN: 978-0471862567
Recommended textbook: (2) Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics: An Integrated Approach
– M. Scott Shell ISBN: 978-1107656789
Class Format: Lecture attendance is important and expected. The lectures will supplement the texts with many new materials and will emphasize the important concepts and clarify tricky points. You will benefit in different ways by attending in-person, including participation points.
Academic Honor Principle: Students are expected to observe the University’s Code of Student Conduct. No cheating of any sort will be tolerated.
Problem sets: I will hand out and collect problem sets in class. I expect there will be 5 to 7 problem sets, depending on the pace at which material is covered. Late problem sets will not be accepted. You are free to discuss with friends (includes ChatGPT) before submitting solutions but be ready to be randomly called to the blackboard to explain what you did. This is a graduate course designed for budding researchers aka you. As such you will often find the problem sets a bit disconnected from class materials. This will probably irritate you. But once you connect the dots and make genuine attempts at solving the problems, it will give you a lot of contentment as well as immediate and delayed gratification.
Exams and grading
Exam 1 (Date TBA) 20 %
Exam 2 (Date TBA) 20 %
Final Exam (Date as per University Schedule – check Testudo) 20 %
Participation (*see below) 10 %
Problem Sets (**see below) 30 %
* 2 points: Join before 8PM EST on Friday Aug 30, 2024 the slack workspace for chem684 whose link registered students will receive in email in the first week of classes. These 2 points will be forfeited if you join after this deadline or do not join at all.
*Remaining 8 points: The remaining 8 participation points will be counted through regular participation in at least two or more of the following:
(i) class attendance measured through occasional pop quizzes,
(ii) slack discussions (i.e. by asking and answering questions related to class subject matter).
** Your one worst homework will be automatically excluded from grade calculation. Unless otherwise stated, all homeworks will carry equal weight towards grade.
Course outline (tentative):
I. General introduction to the course
A. How to think about macroscopic systems
B. Macroscopic mechanical and thermodynamic variables
C. Equilibrium state; analogy to mathematical functions of many variables
II. Entropy and second law of thermodynamics
A. Adiabatic paths between arbitrary states
B. Callen form of second law; internal constraints
III. Energy and first law of thermodynamics
A. Work and heat; adiabatic processes
B. Energy as state function
C. Empirical temperature
IV. Combined look at first and second laws
A. Fundamental equation of thermodynamics
B. Equations of state and complete/incomplete information
C. Stability and convexity
D. Reversible and irreversible work
E. Clausius Inequality; Carnot cycle
V. Free energies and general thermodynamic potentials
A. Heat capacities at constant volume and pressure, Enthalpy
B. Deeper look into spontaneity
C. Usefulness of change of variables in describing experiments
D. General thermodynamic potentials and Legendre transforms
E. Maxwell Relations
VI. Selected applications of thermodynamics (this will take approx. last third to half of the semester)
A.Phase diagrams
B.Solutions – ideal, regular
C.Chemical equilibrium
D.Kinetics from thermodynamics – transition state theory
Homework and model solutions