Chemistry 882: Thermodynamics with Applications to Biomolecules
Spring 2016 TuTh, 10:20 a.m. – 11:40 a.m., Room 581W Chemistry
http://www.chemistry.msu.edu/courses/CEM882/cem882.htm
Instructor
Dr. David Weliky
Room 41 Chemistry
355-9715 ext. 281
weliky@chemistry.msu.edu
Textbooks (on reserve in Engineering Library – 1515 Engineering Building, near Red Cedar and Shaw)
1. K. E. van Holde, W. C. Johnson, and P. S. Ho, Principles of Physical Biochemistry, second edition (2006).
2. K. A. Dill and S. Bromberg, Molecular Driving Forces: Statistical Thermodynamics in Chemistry and
Biology, (2003).
3. D. Voet and J. G. Voet, Biochemistry 3rd edition, 2004
Reference Books (on reserve in Engineering Library)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Donald A. McQuarrie and John D. Simon, Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach
James R. Barrante, Applied Mathematics for Physical Chemistry
Charles R. Cantor and Paul R. Schimmel, Biophysical Chemistry (volumes 1-3)
Michel Daune, Molecular Biophysics, Structures in Motion
Rodney Cotterill, Biophysics: An Introduction
Charles Kittel and Herbert Kroemer, Thermal Physics
Course Homepage: http://www.chemistry.msu.edu/courses/CEM882/cem882.htm
Course notes, homework problem sets, homework and exam solution sets, and course announcements can be
found on the course homepage.
Syllabus (approximate)
Week
Topic
January 11 – 22
Review of Protein and Nucleic Acid Structure
January 25 – 29
Probability and Entropy
February 1 – 5
Boltzmann Law and Partition Function
February 8 – 19
Thermodynamic Functions and Laws
February 22 – March 4
Calorimetry
VJH Chapter 2.5
March 14 – 25
Ideal Gas and Chemical Equilibrium
DB Chapter 11,13
1
Reading
VV, Chapter 4, 5.1-5.3, 8.1, 8.3-8.5
VJH, 1.5
DB, Chapters 1-3
VJH, Chapter 2.1,2.2
DB, Chapters 6,7,10
DB, Chapters 8,10
VJH Chapters 2.3,2.4
March 28 – April 8
Solutions and Chemical Potential
DB Chapters 9,15,16
April 11 – 15
Intermolecular Interactions and Electrostatics
DB Chapters 22,24
April 18 – 29
Water and the Hydrophobic Effect
DB Chapters 29,30
Homework
There will likely be about five homework assignments in the course. They are due in class on the given due
dates. Late homework assignments will not be accepted. You are permitted to work with your classmates on
solving the problems but what you hand in should not be a direct copy of other students’ work.
Exams
There will be two exams in the course including the final exam.
A review sheet will be prepared for each exam. In addition, formulas and constants will be provided on the
exam, unless the exam question explicitly asks you to derive them. You will also be permitted to bring in one
page to each exam on which you may write by hand any information which you think is important.
I expect to see all of your work for problems on homework and exams. You may receive partial credit when you
do have written work and reasoning, but an incorrect answer. Typically, you will not receive any credit for a
correct answer with no written work or reasoning.
Grading
The final grade will be a combination of exam grades (~2/3 contribution) and homework grades (~1/3
contribution).
The approximate final grading scale will likely be:
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.0
80% – 100%
70% – 80%
60% – 70%
50% – 60%
40% – 50%
30% – 40%
20% – 30%
0% – 20%
2