ERT 108 Physical Chemistry

INTRODUCTION

by
Miss Anis Atikah binti Ahmad

COURSE STRUCTURE

Course : Physical Chemistry

Course Code: ERT 108
Course Type: Core
Unit : 3

Pre-requisite of ERT 206 Thermodynamics

Lecturers:

Miss Anis Atikah binti Ahmad

Dr Mohd Irfan Hatim

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students are

expected to be:
Able to define and apply the phenomena,

basic concepts, laws and principles in

physical chemistry
Able to calculate and solve a problem
concerning physical chemistry.
Able to illustrate various fundamental laws
in physical chemistry.

EVALUATION
CONTRIBUTION
Final Exam
(50%)
Mid
Term
Exams
(20%)

Continuous
Assessment
(30%)

Assignments
(20%)
Quizzes (10%)

BOOKS

Text Book:
Atkins, P and de Paula, Julia. 2009. Physical
Chemistry. Oxford University Press, 9th Edition.

Reference Books:
Bahl, B.S.; Bahl, Arun & Tuli, G.D. 2006. Essentials of

Physical Chemistry. S. Chand, New Delhi.

Paul Monk, 2004. Physical Chemistry, John Wiley & Sons.
Levine I. N. , 2002. Physical Chemistry, McGraw Hill, 5 th
Edition.
Silbey R. J., Alberty R. A., Bawendi M. G. 2005. Physical
Chemistry, John Wiley & Son, Inc., 4 th Edition.

LESSON PLAN
Minggu/Week

Kandungan Kursus / Course Contents

(Panduan/Guidelines)
1. Introduction to Physical Chemistry
What is Physical chemistry
Thermodynamics
Week 1
Variables, relationship & Laws
(17 Feb-21 Feb) Physical and Molecular interactions

Pensyarah/Lecturer

Miss Anis Atikah

(3

hours )

Week 2-3
(24 Feb-7
March)

Week 4-5
(10 March-21
March)

2.0 The First Law of Thermodynamics

The First Law of Thermodynamics
Enthalpy
Heat Capacities
The Joule and Joule Thomson Experiments
Perfect gases and The First Law
Calculation of First Law Quantities
(6 hours)
3. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
The Second Law of Thermodynamics
Heat Engines
Entropy
Calculation of entropy changes
Entropy, Reversibility and Irreversibility
The thermodynamics temperature scale
What is entropy?

Miss Anis Atikah

Miss Anis Atikah

LESSON PLAN (cont.)

Minggu/Week

Week 6-7
(24 March-4
Apr)

Kandungan Kursus / Course Contents

(Panduan/Guidelines)
4.0 Material Equilibrium
Material Equilibrium
Thermodynamics Properties of Nonequilibrium
System.
Entropy and Equilibrium
The Gibbs and Hemholtz Function
Thermodynamic Relation for a system in
equilibrium
Calculation of changes in state function
Phase Equilibrium
Reaction Equilibrium

Pensyarah/Lectur
er

Miss Anis Atikah

(6 hours)
Week 8
(7 Apr-11 Apr)

CUTI PERTENGAHAN SEMESTER/MID-TERM BREAK

5.0 Standard Thermodynamic Functions of

Reaction
Standard States
Week 9
Standard Enthalpy of Reaction
Dr Mohd Irfan Hatim
(14 Apr-18 Apr) Standard Enthalpy of Formation
Determination of standard enthalpies of
Formation and Reaction
(3 hours)

LESSON PLAN (cont.)

Minggu/Week

Kandungan Kursus / Course Contents

Pensyarah/Lectur
(Panduan/Guidelines)
er
6. Reaction Equilibrium in Ideal Gas Mixture
Chemical Potential in an Ideal Gas Mixture
Ideal-Gas Reaction equilibrium
Temperature Dependence of the Equilibrium
Week 10
constant
Dr Mohd Irfan Hatim
(21 Apr-25 Apr)
Ideal-Gas equilibrium Calculations
(4
hours)
6.

Week 11
(28 Apr- 2 May)

Chemical Kinetics
Experimental Chemical and Kinetic Reactions.
First Order Reactions
Dr Mohd Irfan Hatim
Second Order Reactions
Reaction Rates and Reaction Mechanisms
Light Spectroscopy and adsorption Chemistry.
(4 hours)
8.0 Phase Diagrams
Definitions
The Phase Rule
Two-component Systems
Week 12
Vapour Pressure Diagrams
Dr Mohd Irfan Hatim
(5 May- 9 May) Temperature-composition Diagrams
Liquid-liquid Phase Diagrams
Liquid-solid Phase Diagrams

LESSON PLAN (cont.)

Minggu/Week

Week 13-14
(12 May- 23
May)

Kandungan Kursus / Course Contents

(Panduan/Guidelines)

Pensyarah/Lectur
er

9.0 Equilibrium Electrochemistry

Half-reactions and electrodes
Varieties of Cells
The Electromotive Force
Dr Mohd Irfan Hatim
Standard Potentials
Applications of standard potentials
Impact on Biochemistry : Energy Conversion in
Biological Cells
(6 hours)

Week 15
(26 May-30
May)

MINGGU ULANGKAJI / REVISION WEEK

Week 16-17
(2 June -13
June)

PEPERIKSAAN AKHIR SEMESTER / FINAL

EXAMINATION

INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL
CHEMISTRY

What is Physical Chemistry?

the study of the underlying physical

principles that govern the properties &

behaviour of chemical systems.

AREAS OF PHYSICAL
CHEMISTRY

Can be classified into 4 main areas:

Statistical mechanics

AREAS OF PHYSICAL
CHEMISTRY

Quantum chemistry: application of

quantum mechanics to atomic structure,
molecular bonding & spectroscopy

Thermodynamics: Macroscopic science that

studies:
i. the interrelationships of the various
equilibrium properties of a system &
ii. the changes in equilibrium properties in
process

AREAS OF PHYSICAL
CHEMISTRY

Statistical mechanics: relate quantum

chemistry with thermodynamics.
Gives insight into why laws of

thermodynamics hold & allows calculation

of macroscopic thermodynamic properties
from molecular properties.

Kinetics: study of rate processes.

Examples: chemical reaction, diffusion &

flow of charge in an electrochemical cell.

THERMODYNAMICS

Is the study of heat, work, energy and

the changes they produce in the state
of the systems.
Work

Thermodynamic- Basic
concepts

Thermodynamic- Basic
concepts

Type of system:

Matter
System

System
Energy

System
Energy

Open system

Closed system

Isolated system

(can exchange matter & energy)

(no transfer of matter,

can exchange energy)

(can exchange neither

energy nor matter)

Thermodynamic- Basic
concepts

Walls: a system may be separated from

its surrounding by various kind of walls:
Rigid or nonrigid (movable)
Permeable (allow matter to pass through) or

impermeable
Adiabatic (does not conduct heat at all) or
nonadiabatic

Thermodynamic Properties

Extensive property : property that

depends on the amount of substance
present in the sample
Eg: mass, volume

Intensive property: property that is

independent of the amount of
substance
E.g., mass density, pressure and

temperature)

STUDY SUGGESTIONS
Hints on how to study Physical Chemistry:
Summarize each set of notes on one page in an organized
form that helps to isolate all key points: nerd notes
Download all available handouts, including equation
sheets
Start working on problems with the equation sheets a.s.a.p.
and do not fall behind
Physical Chemistry is not a memory-based, learn-by-rote
discipline, but is centred upon problem-based learning.
However, you must practice solving problems, deriving
equations, etc. to become proficient.
Review assigned and in-class problems
Attend tutorials
View animations and use other web resources