Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Physical Chemistry-Thermodynamics and Kinetics (Face-to-Face)

CHEM 3610-01

Course: CHEM 3610-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCI
CRN: 31687

Course Description

A fundamental consideration of chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, electrochemistry, and statistical thermodynamics. A minimum grade of "C" (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a physical science major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other course. (Fall) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): CHEM 3615 Prerequisite(s): CHEM 1220 and CHEM 1225 and MATH 1220 - Prerequisite Min. Grade: C

Required Texts

Atkins’ Physical Chemistry (11th Ed.) by Peter Atkins, Julio de Paula, and James Keeler (ISBN: 978-0-19-876986-6)


Learning Outcomes

CHEM 3610 is the first of two portions of Physical Chemistry (with CHEM 3620), with a focus on the physical description of large ensembles of particles/molecules. Broadly, this explores the fields of thermodynamics, statistical thermodynamics, and chemical kinetics to describe macroscopic phenomena centered on energy exchange in the form of heat and/or work. This includes the description of processes such as: a change in thermodynamic variables of the system (temperature, pressure, etc.), changes in phase, chemical reactions, and chemical mixing. Where relevant, connections to the sub-microscopic domain (quantum mechanics) will be made to set the foundation for which thermodynamic properties are derived.

Learning outcomes:
Critical thinking
Problem solving
Quantitative reasoning
Knowledge of the natural world and physical laws


Course Requirements

Co-requisite: CHEM 3615–Thermodynamics and Kinetics Lab

Prerequisite: A grade of “C” (2.0) or above in CHEM 1220/1225 and MATH 1220.

Materials other than textbook:  Scientific calculator able to compute logarithms and access to plotting software such as Microsoft excel or matlab (these are readily available on computers on campus).

Course Outline

COURSE STRUCTURE AND GRADING
·         45%     3 midterm EXAMS
o   Exams will be either during class or in the testing center on the arranged days throughout the semester. It is departmental policy that exams will not be returned indefinitely, however, there will be ample opportunity to review completed exams in-class, during office hours, or by appointment. 
·         25%     Final EXAM
o   Comprehensive exam covering all material from the course. It will be a standardized American Chemical Society exam featuring multiple choice questions. Therefore, a scantron and pencil are required.
o   NOTE: There are no calculators for this exam
·         20%     Assigned homework
o   Homework assignments will be given for every chapter (or “Focus”) covered from the textbook and will be a combination of problems selected from the textbook and written by the instructor. The homeworks are designed to be challenging, and to extend the content covered in the lecture to a broader set of applications. However, the framework for all homework problems will be covered in class lectures.  
o   Some assignments will require the use of plotting software such as Microsoft Excel, Matlab, etc. 
·         10%     Quizzes
o   In-class and take-home quizzes will be given throughout the semester to gauge student progress throughout the course.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Week           Date            Topic                                                                                    
1                  Aug. 27       Introduction to Physical Chemistry                                           
                    Aug. 29       Brief Introduction to the Quantum Model for a Molecule (CH. 1)         
                    Sept. 1         Labor Day – NO CLASS                                                        
2                  Sept. 3         The Perfect Gas                                                                     
                    Sept. 5         "                                                                                             
                    Sept. 8         The Kinetic Model                                                                   
3                  Sept. 10       Real Gases                                                                             
                    Sept. 12       Internal Energy (CH. 2)                                                                      
                    Sept. 15       "                                                                                              
4                  Sept. 17       Enthalpy                                                                                 
                    Sept. 19       Thermochemistry                                                                    
                    Sept. 22        State Functions and Exact Differentials                                    
5                  Sept. 24       Adiabatic Changes                                                                   
                    Sept. 26       Entropy (CH. 3)                                                                             
                    Sept. 29       EXAM 1 (CH. 1-2)                                                                 
 6                 Oct. 1          "                                                                                             
                    Oct. 3          Entropy Changes Accompanying Specific Processes                 
                    Oct. 6          Measurement of Entropy                                                         
 7                 Oct. 8          Concentrating on the System                                                    
                    Oct. 10        Combining the First and Second Laws                                      
                    Oct. 13        Fall Break – NO CLASS                                                        
 8                 Oct. 15        Phase Diagrams of Pure Substances (CH. 4)                                     
                    Oct. 17        Thermodynamic Aspects of Phase Transitions                          
                    Oct. 20        Thermodynamic Description of Mixtures (CH. 5)                        
 9                 Oct. 22         "                                                                                             
                    Oct. 24        Properties of Solutions                                                             
                    Oct. 27        Phase Diagrams of Binary Systems: Liquids                             
 10               Oct. 29        Activities                                                                                
                    Oct. 31        The Equilibrium Constant  (CH. 6)                                               
                    Nov. 3         EXAM 2 (CH. 3‒5)                                                                
 11               Nov. 5         The Equilibrium Constant                                                        
                    Nov. 7         The Response of Equilibria to the Conditions                            
                    Nov. 10       The Canonical Ensemble                                                         
 12               Nov. 12       Electrochemical Cells                                                              
                    Nov. 14       Rates of Chemical Reactions (CH. 17)                                            
                    Nov. 17       Rates of Chemical Reactions                                                    
 13               Nov. 19       Integrated Rate Laws                                                               
                    Nov. 21       Reactions Approaching Equilibrium and Arrhenius Equation     
                    Nov. 24       Thanksgiving Break – NO CLASS                                        
 14               Nov. 26       Thanksgiving Break – NO CLASS                                        
                    Nov. 28       Thanksgiving Break – NO CLASS                                        
                    Dec. 1          Introduction in Statistical Themodynamics – Bolzmann Eq. (CH. 13)  
15                Dec. 3          Molecular Partition Functions                                                  
                    Dec. 5          EXAM 3 (CH. 6, 13, 17)                                                         
16                Dec. 9          FINAL EXAM, Tues. (11 AM)                                              

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Homework and quizzes will be due on regularly scheduled class days. Work will be turned in at the beginning of class and is assumed late if turned in at the end of the lecture and will receive half credit. Late work will only be accepted with official documentation from a university official stating the reason for such circumstances.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend lectures. Aside from missing crucial course topics/discussions, announcements regarding homeworks and quizzes will also be missed if unattended. If class is missed due to “special” circumstances such as illness, a medical emergency, or university-excused absence please contact the instructor as soon as possible so that the necessary accommodations can be made. Generally, the sooner the instructor is alerted to an absence, the more options available proceeding forward. Time conflicts with a student’s work and vacations/trips are not excusable absences and therefore will not be accommodated by the instructor. Attendance during scheduled exams is mandatory and accommodations will not be made after the date has passed. If a student cannot be present due to special circumstances, arrangements must be made prior to the scheduled date.

Course Fees

$40.50

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.