CM2133 - FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

Academic Year 23/24 - Semester 1

Assessments:​

• Test 1: 12.5%

• Test 2: 7.5%

• Quizzes: 5%

• Homework: 50%

• Final Exam: 25%

Lecturer: Asst Prof Liviu Ungur and A/P Kang Hway Chuan

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Course Overview: 

• Part 1 (Quantum): Quantum mechanics postulates, Eigenfunctions, Particle in a box, Rigid rotor, Harmonic/anharmonic oscillator, Hydrogen atom, Electronic Transitions

• Part 2 (Thermodynamics): Processes, Enthalpy, Entropy, Zeroth, First, Second and Third law of thermodynamics, Heat engines and heat pumps, Maxwell relations, Phase equilibrium and chemical equilibrium

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No. of responses : 6

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REVIEWS

What advice would you give to someone considering to take this course?

 

Wanwen: My advice is to ensure that you fully understand the content after each lecture and not to wait until the end of the semester when you are revising for tests because it will be challenging to catch up. 

 

Anonymous: This course is divided into two parts: quantum chemistry and thermodynamics. Both sections may initially seem challenging and unfamiliar, but as the lectures progress and you review the material from the beginning, you will gradually grasp the bigger picture. Consistent effort is needed for success in this course and note that the two parts are not related to each other.

 

Yihan: The workload for this course is really quite a lot such that it feels like it is worth 8 units, with the first part focusing on quantum and the second on thermodynamics. Each segment is so content-heavy that it could easily be split into two separate courses. While the course is helpful and the concepts taught helps in understanding other 2K courses, it comes with an exceptionally high workload, so students have to be prepared for that.

 

Anonymous: Please approach this course with caution. I invested a significant amount of time in it, and it was extremely challenging. It definitely requires consistent effort and practice, especially with tutorials and homework.

 

Anonymous: The content this course covers is very difficult and abstruse. I highly recommend NOT overloading with this course as you really need the time to study and understand the basic principles taught in the first few weeks of each section in order to understand the later applications.

 

What did you enjoy or find most useful from this course?

 

Wanwen: I find the tutorials to be extremely useful and helpful in helping me grasp the content of this course.

 

Anonymous: The concepts taught in both quantum parts were interesting, filled with numerous real-life examples. While there were only a few tutorials, the remaining ones were dedicated to reviewing tests and homework assignments.

 

Yihan: The content is remarkably in-depth and contributes to a deeper understanding of the contents covered in other 2K courses. For example, learning quantum has helped me to understand MO theory taught in 2112 and the fundamental mechanism behind spectroscopy in 2122.

 

Anonymous: This course begins from the first principles of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics respectively, and goes over the fundemental assumptions and postulates underlying each section. It is extremely fascinating learning about how these theories are built up from these assumptions. For example how the concept of enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy, concepts we have been exposed to in H2 Chemistry, arise from basic observations of the characteristics of heat. As such, the learning value of this course is incredibly high and I truly enjoyed learning these concepts.

 

What aspects of the course did you find most challenging, and why?

 

Wanwen: I haven't studied physics since secondary school, so understanding some of the content is challenging for me. It requires a significant amount of time to grasp the concepts.

 

Anonymous: The information provided in this course is very dense, resulting in one of the highest workloads among the four 2K courses.

 

Yihan: The workload is exceptionally high, with an overwhelming amount of content to cover. Also, for the thermodynamic part, the assignment is given as a question number in the textbook, which can be challenging to locate. It would be good to have a compilation of screenshots.

 

Anonymous: Everything in this course revolves around math, so you need to be proficient in math.

 

Anonymous: As the concepts are built up from scratch, it is sometimes very difficult to understand how one concept leads to another and how concepts link together to form new concepts. At the same time, there are many concepts and equations that have to be introduced in order to elucidate a key concept like dG, so it can get very confusing at times keeping track of all the concepts and equations.

 

What resources did you find most helpful in helping you better understand the course material?

 

Wanwen: Tutorial and lecture recordings for me to rewatch.

 

Anonymous: The notes provided for thermodynamics were helpful in grasping the theoretical concepts. The textbook would have been useful for deeper understanding if I had taken the time to read it.

 

Yihan: Prof Liviu's lecture slides are of very high quality, with a clear presentation of most of the proofing processes. In the last section on state symbols, more examples could be beneficial, although it is well complemented by the tutorial. Prof Kang's slides are challenging to understand, but the accompanying notes are quite good. However, many mathematical aspects and proofs are skipped. For those not mathematically inclined but still wanting to understand the content, it will pose quite a challenge.

 

Anonymous: ChatGPT, Youtube and Google.

 

Anonymous: Youtube is amazing, especially for quantum. Go find youtube videos explaining quantum mechanics, stuff like quantum postulates, eigenfunctions, wave functions etc, especially if you don’t have physics background like me.

 

What other courses do you think should be taken before or concurrently with this course?

 

Anonymous: CM2122 could be taken together to understand NMR.

 

Yihan: Students should be familiar with differentiation, integration, linear algebra and basic physics content.

 

Anonymous: Go and do some self-study beforehand. Figure out a bit of quantum and go practice your calculus (especially differentiation you will need it for thermodynamics).