Course Outline & General Info

Below is an outline of the material to be covered during this semester, and corresponding chapters in P.W. Atkins' "Physical Chemistry - 8th Edition".  We will cover most of Chapters 1-6 (corresponding chapters for earlier editions are shown below). 

8th edition:

0. Introduction to Physical Chemistry
1. The Properties of Gases.
2. The First Law of Thermodynamics
3. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
4. Physical Transformations of Pure Substances
5. Simple Mixtures
6. Phase Diagrams

6th and 7th editions:

0. Introduction to Physical Chemistry
1. The Properties of Gases.
2. The First Law of Thermodynamics: Concepts
3. The First Law of Thermodynamics: Machinery
4. The Second Law of Thermodynamics: Concepts
5. The Second Law of Thermodynamics: Machinery
6. Physical Transformations of Pure Substances
7. Simple Mixtures
8. Phase Diagrams

Marking Scheme:

Mid-term Exam Format:

• Exam must be written in pen (no whiteout) to get exam returned
• Equation and constant sheets will be provided
• 20% of Total Mark, 40 possible marks total
• Five Questions (10 marks each) + One Bonus Question (2-4 marks)
• 1. Everyone does first question
• 2. 3. 4. 5. Choose 3 of 4
• Bonus: Extra marks if you have time left over 

General Information:

Mandatory textbooks (Fall 2011):

Atkins, P.W. and De Paula, J. Physical Chemistry, 8th edition, W.H. Freeman, New York, 2006 ISBN 0-7167-8759-8

Trapp, C.; Cady, M. Guinta, C. and Atkins, P.W. Students Solution Manual for Physical Chemistry, 8th edition, W.H. Freeman, New York, 2006 ISBN 0-7167-6206-4

***note: the 7th edition of Atkins is also supported

Recommended texts (Fall 2011):

Barrante, J.R. Applied Mathematics for Physical Chemistry, 3rd Edition Prentice-Fall, ISBN 0-13-100845-5

***note: this text is very useful if you require a review or short update of basic calculus as applied to problems in chemistry.

Laboratories & Tutorials:

There are five laboratories with four tutorial sessions in alternate weeks.  Tutorials will also be conducted in class prior to examinations.

Course Guidelines:

A. Attendance is VERY IMPORTANT to be successful in this course - students who do not attend lectures generally score very low on exams and assignments. You must keep up with the material as the semester progresses.

B. To arrange consultation time with Dr. Schurko, please make an appointment using the Contact Page available on the website. Office hours are flexible and will be adjusted around your schedule of classes and labs.

C. You MUST study outside of class. Outside work should include reading assigned material, doing assigned questions and problems, reviewing lecture notes, correcting errors made in past work, etc. For every 1 hour of lecture, 1-2 hours should be spent outside of class. Physical chemistry requires study, practice and drill.

D. Adequate lecture notes should be taken. These notes should be reviewed as soon as possible after each class meeting. The student is encouraged to consult with the instructor about any material that is unclear. Lectures are currently available on the web - modified versions should be available immediate prior to or after the lecture.

E. Attendance of intro week and all laboratories is mandatory. Official written documentation as to why a student misses a laboratory (e.g., medical reasons, etc.) must be provided within 12 hours before or after the scheduled lab session, otherwise the student will not be able to reschedule sessions. and will receive a grade of zero for that laboratory.

F. Exams missed due without an official excused absence will result in a grade of zero. Only students with an official excused absence will be given the opportunity to make-up an exam, which may be written or oral. If you cannot make an exam in the event of a religious holiday or University of Windsor athletic commitment, you must notify Dr. Schurko by Sept. 16, 2011. If for health or personal reasons an exam must be missed, you must notify Dr. Schurko by phone or email within 12 hours before or after the exam, and you must have your physician fill out the new Faculty of Science Medical Certificate (available from the Chemistry website).

G. All students are required to take the final examination in order to receive a passing grade in the course. No notebooks, texts or cheat sheets are allowed in any of the examinations. Students caught cheating will receive an automatic grade of zero on that test/exam and be subject to academic discipline.

H. Laboratory reports must be independently written. Students which deliberately copy answers, figures, charts or other materials from their partners or from old laboratories will receive an automatic grade of zero on the laboratory report and be subject to academic discipline.

By writing the examinations and laboratories in this course, you express consent with the above regulations and those written at the top of all examination papers.

The Departmental Guidelines on examination procedures, missed examinations, plagiarism and laboratory attendance can be downloaded by clicking here.  59-240 follows the departmental guidelines unless otherwise noted.