Physical Chemistry Laboratory: Thermodynamics and Kinetics

Catalog description

This laboratory is coupled to the lectures in CHEM-UH 3011 and provides students with the skills required for performing experiments in physical sciences. The course introduces the principles and practices of physicochemical methods in thermodynamics and kinetics, and it continues with introducing more contemporary experimental and computational methods used in analytical, organic, physical, and biological chemistry laboratories. The experiments include thermochemical techniques such as calorimetry to determine the heat exchange during chemical reactions or physical processes, construction and interpretation of phase diagrams of binary and ternary mixtures, measurement and prediction of kinetic rates of chemical reactions, and determination of rate constants. A computational experiment is also included. After this course, students will be able to approach a chemical problem, set up a hypothesis, perform accurate measurements, interpret the results, verify the hypothesis, draw conclusions, and communicate effectively orally and in writing.