Welcome to Physical Chemistry I

You are about to embark on the study of the theoretical underpinnings of the chemical concepts and equations you explored in general chemistry (and organic). The goal of this 'second time through' is to let you know from where all the material for general chemistry came, and to take you beyond your old level of understanding, in most cases.

We'll begin with a review of the mathematical skills required to be successful in CHEM 3721. Then, you'll be asked to consider the simplest model of matter--the gaseous state--to develop an intuition about the motion and energies of samples of matter. The findings for the gaseous state will lead to a study of the energy transfer that governs the equilibrium established by most physical systems (the field of Thermodynamics). Finally, once we discover if a process will occur and what the equilibrium will be like after it occurs, we will explore how the process occurs (chemical kinetics).

The Guided Inquiry Approach

Unlike most of your courses, CHEM 3721 does not include very many sessions where I will teach TO you. Instead, you will be actively engaged in learning the material on your own by a process known as guided inquiry, and I will act as your coach (or guide) as you undergo this process. Data and Critical Thinking Questions have been carefully constructed so as to assist you in obtaining the important results of physical chemistry on your own. You'll work in groups, to increase the opportunity of obtaining the correct response to a question and to have you practice an important aspect of science--communication!

The type of guided inquiry we utilize has evolved from much research as is termed Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL). Our materials for the class have been developed by those involved with the POGIL project from its earliest inception, so we are using some of the most tested teaching materials available for physical chemistry.

Necessary Equipment

Our text is"Thermodyanmics, Statistical Mechanics, and Kinetics" by Engel and Reid.
Our guided inquiry workbook is "Physical Chemistry: A Guided Inquiry Approach--Thermodynamics" by Spencer, Moog, and Farrell. An optional mathematics text is available from Mortimer, entitled "Mathematics for Physical Chemistry".