CHM 541 Home Page | Syllabus | Course Outline | Reference Data | Assignments
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Class meetings: MWTF 11:40 am PSH-130
Recitations: As scheduled in class
Instructor: William T. Petuskey
Office: PS-D202D
Office hours: MWThF 10:40 am or by arrangement
e-mail: wpetuskey@asu.edu
Textbook: Introduction to the Thermodynamics of Materials, 3rd edition, David R. Gaskell, Taylor and Francis, Washington, DC (1995). ISBN 1-56032-432-5
Supplementary text: Understanding Thermodynamics, H. C. Van Ness, Dover Publications (1983). ISBN 0-486-63277-6. (Originally published by McGraw-Hill, New York, 1969).
Recommended: Computer math program (e.g., Mathcad®, MatLab®, Mathematica®)
| Midterm Exam #1 | 20% |
| Midterm Exam #2 | 20% |
| Final Exam / Project | 30% |
| Homework | 30% |
Summary:
This course emphasizes the application of thermodynamics to chemical systems. It will focus on solids and the interaction of solids with liquids and gases, although there will be examples of the thermodynamics of biological systems. The course seeks to teach students the application of thermodynamics on real problems, to teach them how to estimate where basic information is scarce and how to interpret thermodynamic information in the context of case studies. Students are expected to learn one of the commercial computational packages (e.g., Mathcad, Matlab or Mathematica) for application to specific thermodynamic problems. The course will discuss data resource gathering and the use of computer codes for multicomponent-multiphasic systems.
Study Groups and Class Interaction:
Thermodynamics, like many areas of physical chemistry, is a demanding course in that it is best learned by working out many problems. You are strongly urged to form study groups of two or three people and work on homework together. In addition, problems will be presented in class for you and your study group to solve and discuss before the end of the period. There will be a series of case studies that will require you to conduct extensive mathematical calculations.
® Mathcad is a registered trademark of Mathsoft, Inc.; MatLab is a registered trademark of The Math Works, Inc.; and Mathematica is a registered trademark of Wolfram, Inc.
CHM 541 Home Page | Syllabus | Course Outline | Reference Data | Assignments
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