Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Physical Chemistry-Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy (Face-to-Face)

CHEM 3620-01

Course: CHEM 3620-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: PSCI
CRN: 12027

Course Description

An introduction to quantum mechanics and its application toward the description of atoms and molecules, their motional degrees of freedom, and spectroscopy. 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. (Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): CHEM 3625 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 3620 is the second of two portions of Physical Chemistry (with CHEM 3610), with a focus on introductory concepts in quantum mechanics, the quantum mechanical description of small particles and their motional degrees of freedom, and spectroscopy. 

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


Course Requirements

Co-requisite: CHEM 3625–Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy 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 several “Topics” at a time as 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                                                                                      “Topic”

1                  Jan. 7            Introduction to Quantum Mechanics                                        7A

                    Jan. 9           Origins of Quantum Mechanics                                                7A

 2                 Jan. 12                                                                                                        7A

                    Jan. 14                                                                                                        7A

                    Jan. 16         Wavefunctions and the Schrödinger Equation                           7B

 3                 Jan. 19         MLK Day – No Class                                                             

                    Jan. 21                                                                                                        7B

                    Jan. 23         Translational Motion and the Particle-in-a-Box                         7D

 4                 Jan. 26                                                                                                        7D

                    Jan. 28                                                                                                        7D

                    Jan 30                                                                                                         7D

 5                 Feb. 2          Operators, Observables, and the Postulates                               7C

                    Feb. 4                                                                                                         7C

                    Feb. 6                                                                                                         7C

 6                 Feb. 9          Vibrational Motion                                                                  7E

                    Feb. 11        EXAM 1 (7A-7D)                                                                   

                    Feb. 13                                                                                                       7E

 7                 Feb. 16        President’s day – NO CLASS                                                

                    Feb. 18        Rotational Motion                                                                   7F

                    Feb. 20                                                                                                       7F

 8                 Feb. 23                                                                                                       7F

                    Feb. 25        Introduction to Molecular Spectroscopy                                    11A

                    Feb. 27                                                                                                       11A

 9                 Mar. 2          Rotational Spectroscopy                                                          11B

                    Mar. 4          Vibrational Spectroscopy of Diatomics                                     11C

                    Mar. 6          Vibrational Spectroscopy of Polyatomics                                  11D

 10               Mar. 9          SPRING Break – No Classes                                                 

                    Mar. 11        SPRING Break – No Classes                                                 

                    Mar. 13        SPRING Break – No Classes                                                 

 11               Mar. 16        The Hydrogen Atom                                                                8A

                    Mar. 18                                                                                                       8A

                    Mar. 20                                                                                                       8A

 12               Mar. 23        Many-Electron Atoms                                                             8B

                    Mar. 25                                                                                                       8B

                    Mar. 27        EXAM 2 (7E−7F, 11, 8A)                                                       

 13               Mar. 30                                                                                                       8B

                    Apr. 1          Atomic Spectroscopy                                                              8C

                    Apr. 3                                                                                                         8C

 14               Apr. 6          Chemical Bonding: H2+                                                            9B

                    Apr. 8                                                                                                                                                                                                        9B

                    Apr. 10        Molecular Orbital Theory: Homonuclear Diatomics                  9C

15                Apr. 13        Molecular Orbital Theory: Heteronuclear Diatomics                  9D

                    Apr. 15        Molecular Orbital Theory: Polyatomics                                    9E

                    Apr. 17        EXAM 3 (8B−8C, 9)                                                              

16                Apr. 21        FINAL EXAM, Tues, (11-12:50 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.

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.