SCH 203 THERMODYNAMICS I
Course outline
This course introduces the students to thermodynamics – the mechanical production of
heat, defining work, heat, energy, enthalpy and other thermodynamics parameters and
gives the relationship between them. It also gives the students an introduction to thermo
chemistry, where the heat produced by chemical reactions under varied conditions is
assessed. It gives sufficient information for a later course, SCH 303, of which it is a
prerequisite.
Programme: Bachelor of Education (Science) (Kenya Science)
Lecture times: Tuesday 9.00 – 10.00 am (Lecture theatre, Kenya Science) and
Wednesday 11.00am – 1.00 pm (New common room 2, Kenya Science)
Prerequisite – none; but knowledge of Calculus and basic physical Chemistry is useful
Consultation hours: 8.00 – 9.00 Tuesday and Wednesday 8.00 – 11.00 Kenya Science
Chemistry office.
Course objective: To introduce students to thermodynamics and thermochemistry
Course content
• First law of thermodynamics:
• Work, heat and energy;
• compression and expansion;
• Free expansion, expansion against pressure; reversible expansion,
• Heat and heat capacity;
• Enthalpy.
• Internal energy;
• constant volume process;
• constant pressure process;
• the temperature dependence of internal energy and enthalpy;
• Joule-Thomson effect;
• Reversible and irreversible adiabatic expansion.
• Thermochemistry:
• Various reaction enthalpies;
• Hess's law;
• the relationship between enthalpy and internal energy;
• calorimetric measurement of enthalpy and internal energy.
• Bond and resonance energies,
• various enthalpies due to physical and chemical change, and ions in solution.
Course material
• A textbook of Physical Chemistry by K. K. Sharma and L. K. Sharma
• Physical Chemistry by Gordon Barrow
• Physical Chemistry by H. L. Heyes
• Systematic Physical Chemistry by L. C. Roselan
• Numerical problems in Physical Chemistry by Wolfender Richards and Richards
Evaluation: 30% CATS and 70% Exam
Lecturer: Dr. Damaris Mbui
Contact: dmbui@uonbi.ac.ke; 0723 322033