Chemistry 13H, Spring '98

Chemistry 13H
Spring 1998

Professor Paul S. Weiss
Office: 407 Davey Laboratory
Phone: (814) 865-3693
E-mail: stm@psu.edu
Office Hours: Drop in or by appointment
Send e-mail to Paul

Secretary: Connie Smith
Office: 222 Davey Laboratory
Phone: (814) 863-0119
E-mail: cmf11@email.psu.edu

Assistant: Dr. Lloyd A. Bumm
Office: 116 Davey Laboratory
Phone: (814) 863-5516
E-mail: lab12@psu.edu
Office hours: Tuesday 1:30-2:30 PM and by appointment
Send e-mail to Lloyd

Grader: Allen Aloise
Office: 119 Chandlee
Phone: 862-7590
E-mail: ada102@psu.edu
Send e-mail to Allen

Our Amazing Demonstrator: John Cryder
Office 12 Osmond (at the front of the lecture hall)
Phone: (814) 865-5542
E-mail: jcc14@psu.edu

We will have excellent guest lecturers. Stay tuned.

Text
While we will use Brown, Lemay, and Bursten, 7th edition (the same book as used in Chem 12, 12H, and 13), we will also use much supplementary material and www links.

Learning in Chem 13H
This is an exciting course for many reasons. We are able to cover many of the highlights of chemistry in a relatively informal way. This introduction is meant to guide you through many future years of scientific thinking and discussion, citizenship, and possibly even more chemistry.

Much of what you learn, you will learn on your own or from each other. This will allow us greater latitude in class. For instance, nearly every Friday class will be a discussion. If you have topics to discuss and know in advance, let us (instructors and classmates) know so that we can prepare for a higher level discussion.

While we will cover everything in the regular (Chem 13) version of this course, we will do it faster (!) in order to allow us to pursue many other additional topics. This will require a great deal of work on your part. Please be prepared for it and budget the time for it. Anticipate that the lectures, the readings, and the homeworks will be complementary rather than overlapping. You will be responsible for the material from all of these sources. Similarly, your participation in class is required both for discussions and for the education of your classmates and professor. There is little that we plan to say that is so critical that a good classroom discussion would not be preferable.

Some chemtouristic sites to visit:

The Elements.
Photography Information at Kodak.
Comets from Sky and Telescope magazine.
The Bends Story
Comment on the bends by Prof. Gold
A little information on rechargeable batteries.
Something on Aluminum.
Quantum control of atoms, etc.
Radon information from the US Geological Survey.
Dupont Nylon page.
Magnetic Resonance Image of a brain.
View biological molecules at NIH's Molecules R Us.
Enzymes -- 3D Views and related links.
Scanning probe microscopy (our research) discussion. See my group's main web page and associated links.

Last week's seminars.
Here are this week's seminars for all of the Eberly College of Science!
Here are next week's seminars for the Eberly College of Science.

Monday 12 January 1998

Introduction
Measurements of Single Molecules in Chemistry
Find this website (and you have done it!). Turn in Monday 19 January.

Wednesday 14 January 1998

Measurements of Single Molecules in Biology

We discussed the work of WE Moerner at UCSD.

Friday 16 January 1998

Discussion Class
Bring in topics to discuss. These can be aligned to the topics we are covering, but do not need to be. If we can discuss them intelligently, we will do so. If not, we will find some references and cover them next week. Every Friday class will work this way.

Discussion of:
Cloning sheep and higher mammals
Original article: Campbell, K. H. S., McWhir, J., Ritchie, W. A. & Wilmut, I. Nature 380, 64--66 (1996).
Surrogate sheep mother and clone
On-line ongoing debate at Nature

Monday 19 January 1998

Acids and Bases I
Check out Prof. Will Castleman's work on solvation in clusters.

HW: Turn in www site address.
Read: Chapter 15, Sections 4.2-4.4 and 16.1-16.4.

Wednesday 21 January 1998
HW: Turn in www site address.
Read: Chapter 15, Sections 4.2-4.4 and 16.1-16.4.

Friday 23 January 1998

Discussion Class

Discussion of:
Stabilizing explosives with binders
No references yet. Let me know what you find.

(An example of exothermicity (and you thought I was crazy).
Read their page.)

Monday 26 January 1998

Acids and Bases II

Wednesday 28 January 1998

Acids and Bases III
See the talk tonight in the Priestley Lecture Series, 8 PM in 102 Thomas: Pierre de Gennes From Snow to Rice: Problems of Granular Matter
And Thursday 4:30 PM in S5 Osmond: Proposals for Artificial Muscles
And Friday 12:15 PM in S5 Osmond: Bubbles, Foams, and Other Fragile Objects

Friday 30 January 1998

Discussion Class Problem solving, acid/base review, and solvation.
Read: Chapter 15, Sections 4.2-4.4 and 16.1-16.4.

Monday 2 February 1998

Periodicity Read: Sections 7.1-4.

Wednesday 4 February 1998 (Lloyd as Guest Lecturer)

Aqueous Equilibria HW: 16.50,63,68,70,75,91 and 7.6,14,18,26,30. Two sets will be graded.

Friday 6 February 1998

Solids
Metals, Semiconductors, and Insulators.

Monday 9 February 1998 (Lloyd as Guest lecturer)

Photography

Read: Sections 4.5,17.4-6. HW: 17.31-34,40,43,46,51-52,5556,81,89

Wednesday 11 February 1998

Exam Review of Material to date
Bring questions/problems

Please attend the Inaugural Distinguished Materials Physics Seminar by Dr. Don Eigler of IBM Almaden Research Center this evening:
Atoms Where You Want Them 8 PM 119 Osmond
And if possible, his physics colloquium on Thursday 12 February at 3:30 PM in 101 Osmond. If you are going to attend this latter talk, be sure to read the superconductivity handout in the library first.

Friday 13 February 1998

Exam #1
Covering through the photography lecture Monday 9 February

Monday 16 February 1998

Thermodynamics:
Spontaneity, Enthalpy, Entropy

Read: Sections 19.1-3.
HW: In 5-10 sentences, describe a specific color photographic process. Give the references you used.

Wednesday 18 February 1998

Thermodynamics:
Free Energy, Equilibrium Constants, and Work

Read: Sections 19.4-7.
HW: 19.1-2,4-5,14-15,28.

Friday 20 February 1998

Discussion Class:
Detection of Chemical and Biological Weapons

Links on the arrest in Nevada: Yahoo list | Washington Post | MSNBC and Links | Las Vegas Sun Article and Links
Centers for Disease Control: Anthrax Description | CNN Anthrax Description

Information on chemical and biological agents.
Chemical Biological Defense Information Analysis Center of the Dept. of Defense
An on-line discussion of chemical and biological terrorism.
A paper on terrorism with chemical agents.

HW: 19.31,34-36,43-44,46-49,54,61-62.
Project: Select element for poster and paper.

Monday 23 February 1998

Electrochemistry:
Oxidation Numbers, Voltaic Cells, EMF

Read: 8.10, 20.1-4. Note additional sections!

Wednesday 25 February 1998

Electrochemistry:
Redox Reactions, Batteries, Electrolysis, Corrosion

Read: 20.5-10.
HW: 20.1-3,5-6,8,10

Friday 27 February 1998

Discussion Class:
Fuel Cells

HW: 20.12-14,24-25,33-34,42,45,48,52-53,55,57,83

Monday 2 March 1998

Electrolysis & Corrosion

Read: 22.3-4
HW: 20.61-63,66,71-73,76,92-94,101

Wednesday 4 March 1998 (Guest Lecturer: Tom Mallouk -- his group link)

Discussion Class:
Fuel Cells

Friday 6 March 1998

Descriptive Chemistry:
Noble Gases and Halogens

Read: 22.6
HW: 22.23-25,27,31,32

Friday 6 March 1998

Descriptive Chemistry:
Sulfur and Group VI

HW: In 5-10 sentences, describe a specific interesting electrochemical experiment in the literature. This could be in neurochemistry, sensitive detection, corrosion, electrolysis, etc. Give the references you used.

Monday 16 March 1998

Descriptive Chemistry:
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon I

Read: 22.1,5
HW: Enjoy break. Extra homework due Wednesday

Wednesday 18 March 1998

Descriptive Chemistry:
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon II

Read: 22.7,9
HW: 22.5-7,10-16,20-22,25-28,40,41

2nd HW to be graded Fuel cell problems given out by Tom Mallouk:
1) Write balanced rections for fuel cells that run on:
a) natural gas (CH₄)
b) methanol (CH₃OH)

2) What are the E^o values for the above cells?
Gibbs standard free energies of formation (in kJ/mole):
CH₄ ^-50.8
CH₃OH ^-166.2
CO₂^-394.4
H₂O(l) ^-236.8

3) What fraction of the free energy of reaction is lost by reforming
a) CH₄ to H₂?
b) CH₃OH to H₂?
4) What is the available free energy per mole C from reformed CH₄ and CH₃OH?

Friday 20 March 1998

Discussion Class
Go Over Fuel Cell Homework
+ First Posters!

HW: 22.51-53,57,58,60,69-73,75,76,94

Sunday 22 March 1998
6⁰⁰ PM Elements of Life Poster session -- 2^nd Floor Osmond/Davey overpass.

Steve Block's Poster Preparation Link (Steve Block's Group Page)

Monday 23 March 1998 Presentations: What Worked

Descriptive Chemistry:
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon III

Wednesday 25 March 1998 Descriptive Chemistry:
Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon IV

Friday 27 March 1998 Discussion Class: Fullerenes
(and last two posters)

Next Friday (3 April), I will be at Rice, where fullerences were discovered.
Read both of the following talks:
Here is a talk on fullerenes by Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley at Rice University. (Ask how I heard he won the prize.). Here is his Nobel lecture.

Monday 30 March 1998

Transition Metals I

Papers due. Note new date.
Turn in two copies.
Also include on a separate sheet: (Note new additional assignment)
1/2 sheet summary with your name, element, and the highlights of your presentation and/or paper.

Read: 23.7-8

Wednesday 1 April 1998

Transition Metals II

Read: 24.1-2
HW: 23.31,33-36,38,40
Find a recent (last 18 months) literature article on fullerenes or fullerene tubes or (closely) related compounds. Write a 10 sentence or shorter critical summary. Include the citation and turn in a copy of the first page.

Friday 3 April 1998 Discussion Class on Modern Materials

HW: 24.1-4,9,10

Monday 6 April 1998 Exam Review of Material to date
Bring questions/problems

Wednesday 8 April 1998 Exam #2

Please attend the Sir Harry Kroto's (the co-discoverer of fullerenes) Marker Lectures: Chemistry: The Architecture of the Microcosmos Wednesday 8 April, 8⁰⁰ PM, 104 Keller Conference Center Science -- A Round Peg in a Square World Thursday 9 April, 4⁰⁰ PM, S5 Osmond C60 Buckminsterfullerene -- Not Just a Pretty Molecule and Friday 10 April, 12¹⁵ PM, HUB Assembly Hall The New Round World of Carbon Chemistry and Material Science
Kroto's Vega Science Trust which supports TV series on science.

Friday 10 April 1998 Kinetics I: Reaction Rates and Laws

Read: 14.1-3

Monday 13 April 1998 Go Over Exam and
Kinetics II

Read: 14-4-6
HW: 14.2,4,5,9,12,16,17,23,24

Wednesday 15 April 1998 Kinetics III

HW: 14.27,30,31,35,39,43,44,48,50

Friday 17 April 1998 Metallurgy and Materials I
Read: 23.1-3 HW: 14.55,56,58,59,65,67,78

Monday 20 April 1998 Metallurgy and Materials II
Nuclear Reactions

Schedule your 45 minute final exam (oral) now for 27 or 28 April, or 4-6 May!

Read: 23.4-6
HW: 23.1,9-13,23,24,27

Wednesday 22 April 1998 Nuclear Reactions

Read: Chapter 21.1, 21.4-6
HW: Choose a metal that was not discussed in the poster sessions (no transuranium elements without prior permission).
In one page or less:
1) Identify its source (location, chemical identity, impurities).
2) Describe how it is collected.
3) Describe how it is reduced (if required).
4) Describe how it is purified.
5) Find out how much it costs as elemental metal.

Friday 24 April 1998 Half-Life, Mass-Energy Conversion
+
Discussion Class
Breeder Reactors, Nuclear Waste Handling and Disposal
HW: 21.1-6,12,13,16,19,23,24.
Read: Chapter 21.7-8.

Monday 27 April 1998 Half-Life, Mass-Energy Conversion, cont.
Fission/Fusion

HW: 21.28-31,34,35,40,43,46,47.

Wednesday 29 April 1998 Final Discussion Class / Review
Patterning Semiconductors with Photoresists

Natural radioactivity and other links.

Read: Look for www information on the Hanford site.
HW: 21.48,50,76. Write 5-10 sentences describing the situation at Hanford. HW#2: Summarize in 5-10 sentences the most important thing you learned this semester. Find a related literature reference that goes beyond our discussion. Prepare and answer a question on it.

Monday 4 May - Friday 8 May 1998 Individual Oral Final Exams
Please schedule these the second to last week of class.

Discussion Topics Suggested (Topics already covered)

Cloning sheep and humans
Stabilizing explosives
Fuel cells
Self-contained breathing apparatus
Chemical and biological terrorism
Low temperature measurements and thermometry
Breeder reactors
Nuclear waste handling and disposal
Patterning semiconductors with photoresists

Grading

1. Class participation: 20%
2. Homework: 10%
3. Two in-class exams (1 hr. each): 30% (15% each)
Note that pre-approved make-up or conflict exams will be oral exams.
4. Paper and poster presentation of researched topic (elements of life -- specific elements will be assigned in class): 20% (10% each)
5. Oral final exam: 20%

TOTAL: 100%

people have accessed this page since 2 January 1998.

29 April 1998
psw

Chemistry 13H Spring 1998

Text

Learning in Chem 13H

Some chemtouristic sites to visit:

Chemistry 13H
Spring 1998