Physical Chemistry I and Laboratory
CHEM 401/403 (CRN 10211/10212) - 4 Credit Hours
Professor:
Dr. Shawn White
B.S., Shippensburg University, Ph.D., Clemson University
Industrial experience, Westinghouse, 3 years
Teaching experience, UMES, 8 years; WNMU 3 years
Contact Information:
203 Harlan Hall
575-538-6564
whites7@wnmu.edu
Office hours:
9-9:50, 11-11:50, 1-1:50
9-9:50, 10-10:50
9-9:50, 11-11:50
10-10:50, 2:00-2:50
9:00-9:50
M
T
W
R
F
Prerequisites:
CHEM 152/154
Lecture:
Lab Time:
211 Harlan Hall
215 Harlan Hall
Text:
TR
T
9:30-10:45 AM
1:00 - 2:50 PM
Physical Chemistry by Peter Atkins Eighth Edition, ISBN: 0-7167-8759-8
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Students should understand the properties of gases including temperature, pressure, the
perfect gas law, the behavior of mixtures of gases including mole fraction and Dalton's Law, and
the Van der Waal's equation for gases, and molar volume. In addition, students should become
familiar with the first law of thermodynamics and how it relates work, heat, and energy.
Thermochemistry as it relates to bomb calorimetry will be studied in detail. Also, students will
be exposed to the second and third laws of thermodynamics. The study of the Gibbs energy will
also be a part of the course. In addition, other topics will be covered such as physical
transformations of pure substances, simple mixtures, and phase diagrams.
Major Instructional Goals
1) Students will learn logical problem-solving skills, including strategies to attack complicated
problems by step-by-step analysis, techniques which will be useful in every area of their
lives.
2) The course will also teach the students the interconnected nature of scientific disciplines and
how to integrate math and chemistry skills to solve practical problems in other areas such as
medicine or the environment.
3) They will have a solid foundation of chemical knowledge on which to base further, more
advanced study in chemistry and other sciences.
Learning Experiences
Classes will be conducted in the lecture hall where students will actively participate in
practice problems and taking notes on various concepts. It is expected that the student will
arrive on-time, listen closely to the instructor’s lecture, participate in classroom activities, take
notes, bring a calculator and periodic table to class, and not leave the lecture until class is
dismissed. Disrupting the learning of fellow classmates by talking during the lecture is not
permitted.
Student Outcomes/Requirements
Students will receive a separate grade for CHEM 401 and CHEM 403.
CHEM 401 GRADING
Evaluation Activity
Chapter Tests for Chapters 1-5 (175 pts each)
Final Exam (cumulative)
Points Possible
875
125
Grading for CHEM 403 (lab): Students will be responsible for writing ten laboratory reports.
Each of these assignments will carry the same weight and the average would be used to decide
the course grade. One lab report grade can be dropped. Late lab reports are penalized 5% for the
first day (after 1:00 PM of the assigned day) and 10% cumulative for each additional day.
TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE OF CHEM 401
DATE
8/16
9/6
10/29
11/22-11/26
12/3
TOPICS
Ch. 1. The Properties of Gases
Labor Day
Ch. 2. The First Law
Last day to withdraw from a class
Ch. 3. The Second Law
Ch. 4. Physical Transformations of Pure Substances
Thanksgiving Holiday
Ch. 5. Simple Mixtures
Last Day of Class)
FINAL EXAM
Dec. 6-9
Tentative Lab Schedule
Experiments
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Check in and Safety Rules
Bomb Calorimetry
Bomb Calorimetry
Bomb Calorimetry
Electrochemical Cells
Electrochemical Cells
Kinetics Study using Spectrophotometry
Kinetics Study using Spectrophotometry
Kinetics Study using Spectrophotometry
Rotational Spectrum of Benzene
Special Needs Students: Students with disabilities in need of accommodation should register
with the Special Needs Office (JUANCB 212, Ext. 6138) at the beginning of the semester. With
student permission, that office will notify instructors of any special equipment or services a
student requires.
WNMU Inclement Weather Procedures
The decision on whether to close the University will be based on the condition of the campus streets and parking lots
and the surrounding main arteries. It will also take into consideration when Law Enforcement close down roads in
and out of Silver City, Deming, Lordsburg, and Truth or Consequences. The University’s inclement weather
procedures will be communicated to the entire University, as deemed necessary.
Weather closing/delay information will be made available in the following ways:
1. WNMU webpage
2. WNMU Mustang Express
3. Radio Stations
a. KNFT-FM
102.9FM (Silver City)
b. KPSA-FM
37.7FM (Lordsburg)
c. KSCQ-FM
92.2FM (Silver City)
d. KOTS
1230 AM (Deming)
e. KDEM FM
94.3FM (Deming)
f. KNUW FM
95.1FM (Silver City)
g. KCHS
1400 AM (Truth or Consequences)
4. TV Stations
a. KOAT – TV (Albuquerque)
b. KOB – TV (Albuquerque)
c. KRQE – TV (Albuquerque)
d. CATS – TV (Silver City)
Communication Policy Statement regarding official email :WNMU’s policy requires that all official
communication be sent via Mustang Express. As a result, all emails related to your enrollment at WNMU and class
communication – including changes in assignments and grades – will be sent to your wnmu.edu email address. It is
very important that you access your Mustang Express e-mail periodically to check for correspondence from the
University. If you receive most of your email at a different address you can forward your messages from
Mustang Express to your other address.
Example: Martin Classmember was assigned a WNMU email address of classmemberm12@wnmu.edu but Martin
would rather receive his emails at his home email address of martinclass@yahoo.com
Martin would follow the direction provided at
http://www.wnmu.edu/campusdocs/direction%20for%20forwarding%20email.htm
WNMU Policy on Email Passwords: WNMU requires that passwords for access to all of the protected software,
programs, and applications will be robust, including complexity in the number of characters required, the
combination of characters required, and the frequency in which passwords are required to be changed. Minimum
complexity shall include:



Passwords shall contain at least six (6) characters.
Passwords shall contain at least one capital (upper case) letter, and at least one symbol (numbers and characters
such as @ # $ % & *).
Passwords shall be changed at least every 90 days. (8/6/08)
Academic Integrity: Each student shall observe standards of honesty and integrity in academic work as defined in
the WNMU catalog. Violations of academic integrity include “any behavior that misrepresents of falsifies a
student’s knowledge, skills or ability with the goal of unjustified or illegitimate evaluation or gain” (WNMU Faculty
Handbook, 2008). Generally violations of the academic integrity include cheating and plagiarism. Refer to the
catalog for definitions.
Penalties for infractions of academic integrity in this class are as follows:
Plagiarism: “the intentional or unintentional representation of another’s work as one’s own without proper
acknowledgement of the original author or creator of the work” (WNMU Faculty Handbook, 2008)
Penalties: F in the class
Cheating: “using or attempting to use unauthorized materials…and unauthorized collaboration with others, copying
the work of another or any action that presents the work of others to misrepresent the student’s knowledge”
(WNMU Faculty Handbook, 2008)
Penalties: F in the class