Statistical Molecular Thermodynamics

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Basic information

Statistical Molecular Thermodynamics

 

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How to learn something with Coursera

1.Be familiar with the course page

You should know where the course materials and homework are. Know the deadline of homework and how to submit your homework. Know where to discuss your problems with other people enrolled in the same course.

2.Manage your time well

It’s amazing to see some retired teacher involved in the course. Never too late to learn, right? However, I think most of people enrolled in the Coursera are students and young guys. They have their own work to do. So it’s very important to balance between the real world education and the online education or work. Luckily, in this course, Dr. Christopher J. Cramer put course materials two weeks ahead of schedule, which provides enough room to organize. There are about 8 videos a week.

3.Make full use of the video

There are various materials available, video, PDF of presentation, book. I used to read books to acquire knowledge, but prefer watching video after reading the guide of this course, and I benefit a lot. Because my native language is Chinese, not English, so it’s a little bit difficult for me to follow the course taught in English. But I believe the more I practice, the more I get, and language will not be a problem sooner or later. You may ask me how to make full use of the video.

  • Choose the speaking speed you can keep pace with Chris’s speed is proper for me, not hard to follow. Some new words come out sometimes, but they don’t influence me to understand. The best way to deal with the new words is skip them first, just put them down, and look them up in dictionaries after the video. In addition, you’d better read the homework before watching video, so you get key words for this week’s course and when you hear them in video you should slow down or turn on Closed Caption if you need.

  • Brush up from time to time For me, I can understand instructor’s words when watching videos. But the memories are not very strong. Sometimes I forget things totally because what I hear, what I say, what I see are all Chinese. So I need to write some notes available for me to review. This is why I’m writing this post. Key words and core concepts are fine, while too much details and explanation will make me look like the carrier of books. Making connections between different concepts and describing concepts with your own words are exactly the way to learn better.

Notebook

Week 1

Homework

Deadline: 23:59 PM on Friday, January 31, 2014 GMT

Key:

  1. V(R)=0 for the electronic energy of diatomic
  2. the wavelength of the emitted photon
  3. the bond dissociation energy,the vibrational frequency,the electronic energy
  4. unit conversion: cm^-1 —- KJ/mol
  5. excitation energy, state of the hydrogen atom
  6. the bond dissociation energy,the vibrational frequency,the electronic energy
  7. the energy diference between J=n and J=m
  8. Calculate the degeneracy
  9. Determine the number of various (translational, rotational, vibrational) degrees of freedom of N2
  10. Determine the number of various (translational, rotational, vibrational) degrees of freedom of C2H6

Notes

1.1 concepts

enthalpy enthalpy of fusion heat capacity chemical equilibrium phase diagram the Schrodinger Equation barrier internal energy the energy of bond orbital electronic energy kinetic energy translation energy rotation energy vibration energy potential energy degeneracy degrees of freedom * zero-point energy

1.2 details

  • the energetics of reactions are important for all chemical reactions
  • asses change in enthalpy for a given direction

  • What’s so useful about thermodynamics? Thermodynamics has long been recognized as one of the most powerful and useful tools in chemistry and physics and all the physical sciences.

  • Goals for this course

    • Learn how the Universe really works
    • End up smarter than most politicians(see the video you’ll know the details) When the change in enthalpy is negative, the enthalpy is released and the heat is released. Then the reaction will move from the left to the right.

  • Quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics provides the foundational principles for all molecular processes. Molecular statistical mechanics builds upon that foundation, and itself serves as the basis for thermodynamics.In order to do thermodynamic, we need to know something results and key features from quantum mechanics.

  • Energy is quantized

  • Only certain quantized energies are permitted for the electronic energy levels of atoms and molecules
  • The quantization can be a powerful tool

1.3 new words

  • rust: [n] a red or brown oxide coating on iron or steel caused by the action of oxygen and moisture
  • alumina: Al2O3
  • melt: [n&v] the process whereby heat changes something from a solid to a liquid
  • fusion: [n] a transformation from a solid to a liquid
  • emphasize: [v] to stress, single out as important
  • spontaneous: [adj] happening or arising without apparent external cause
  • wrap up: to complete or finish something

1.4 pronunciation

  • kJ/mol : kilojoule per mole
  • a * b: a times b
  • j/mol·°C:
  • E = hν: E equals h nu
  • E = hc/λ: h times c divided by lambda gives the energy
  • nu tilde
  • 10^-18: 10 the minus 18th
  • infinity
  • h bar

Week 2

Homework

Deadline:23:59 PM on Friday, February 7, 2014 UTC

Key:

  1. application range of the hard-sphere potential
  2. B2v at a temperature above the Boyle temperature
  3. the compressibility factor
  4. calculate gas pressure given volume, mole, temperature, the compressibility factor
  5. the Boyle temperature
  6. B2v
  7. the correct expression for the Boyle temperature

Notes

2.1 concepts

  • ideal gas equation of state
  • extensive variable
  • intensive variable
  • R: universal gas constant
  • triple point
  • compressibility
  • critical point
  • van der Waals loops
  • Maxwell equation loops
  • Law of corresponding states
  • reduced quantity
  • Virial Equation of State
  • the second virial coefficient
  • molecular interaction
  • hard sphere model
  • square well model

2.2 details

  • Why gases?

  • T/°C = T/K - 273.15

  • Low T and Low P: attractive forces fn_cs bar{V}_{real} < bar{V}_{ideal}
  • High T and High P: repulsive forces fn_cs bar{V}_{real} > bar{V}_{ideal}

2.3 new words

2.4 pronunciation

  • fn_cs lim_{pto0}frac{PV}{nR}: the limit as pressure goes to zero, pressure times molar volume divided by the universal gas constant
  • 273.15K: 273 point 15 degrees Kelvin