CHEM 251: Physical Chemistry II (Winter 2015)

Professor: Dr. Allan East, room RI312
Office Hours: 11h00-12h00 weekdays.

1. Text
 The textbook is Physical Chemistry, (10th edition), by Atkins and de Paula, also used for Chem250 and Chem360. Available in bookstore, online (via subscription), or possibly on 2-hour reserve in the library. Also required is the Laboratory Manual for Chemistry 251, available in the bookstore.

2. Grading Scheme
 Laboratory 25%, Problem Sets 10%, Best Quiz 5%, Midterm 15%, Final Exam 45%
Any student who fails either the LABORATORY or FINAL EXAM components will fail the course with a grade of 45% or less.

3. Laboratory
 Lab room: LB308. Lab instructor: Erika Smith.
1st lab: check with Erika.
READ THE MANUAL ABOUT THE EXPERIMENT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE LAB TO DO IT. You require a lab coat, glasses or goggles, a lab notebook and the Laboratory Manual at every lab including the first one.

4. Problem Sets
 7-9 problem sets will be handed out during the term, to be due 7 days later. While each one contributes little to the final grade, they are more valuable as learning tools to improve your exam performance, so students are strongly encouraged to tackle each one.
Doing problem sets with a friend: This dangerous practice is NOT RECOMMENDED in Chem251, because it is too easy to commit PLAGIARISM (copying), especially with graphing. Asking a friend for help on how to start a question is okay. Comparison of answers before handing in is DISCOURAGED, because it tempts students into plagiarism. Plagiarism is academic misconduct, and a first accidental offence results in a warning (and perhaps marks taken off), but a second offence results in reporting to the department head, with possibly serious consequences.

5. Dates to Remember
 Quiz 1 (15 minutes): Jan. 27
Winter break: Feb. 14-22
Midterm test: Mar. 3
Quiz 2 (15 minutes): Mar. 26
Last day of classes: Apr. 10
Final exam: 14h00 Apr. 23

6. Course Syllabus
 Ch. 20: Chemical Kinetics (18 lecutres)
Ch. 21: Molecular Reaction Dynamics (3 lectures)
Ch. 13: Electronic Spectroscopy (3 lectures)