This is the course syllabus for CHEM 112, the undergraduate quantum chemistry and spectroscopy class at UC Merced.

A note about printing this page: Please don’t. This page will be at this URL long enough to share with your children and grandchildren. You don’t need a paper copy of it.

Course Instructor: Professor Erik Menke

Class Room and Hours: Classroom Building, Room 209, MWF 10-10:50 am.

Office: Science and Engineering, Room 358

Office Hours: My office hours will be on TTh from 10-11 am. Alternatively, you are welcome to drop by my office any time if you have questions or concerns. If I don’t have time to talk, we can schedule a time.

Contacting me: In addition to visiting my office, you can reach me by e-mail or leaving a message on the UCMCrops website for the class.

Course description: CHEM 112 is the first of a two-semester upper-division physical chemistry sequence. It covers the fundamentals of quantum mechanics and their application to quantum chemistry and spectroscopy. Quantum mechanics is the mathematical formalism that describes the behavior of matter at very small size scales; in some respects it is very different from classical (Newtonian) mechanics. Quantum chemistry is the application of quantum mechanics to systems of chemical importance, including the structure of atoms and molecules, chemical reactivity, and interactions of atoms and molecules with electromagnetic radiation (spectroscopy). Spectroscopy, which takes many forms, is one of the principal methods by which scientists learn about the properties of atoms and molecules. In order to understand why molecules behave in the way they do and how to interpret spectroscopic experiments, it is necessary to know how to use quantum mechanics.

Expected Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of the semester you should be able to:
     -Describe the fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics and explain how quantum mechanics and classical mechanics differ.
     -Apply the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics to solve simple model problems.
     -Map the structure and spectroscopy of chemical systems onto the most appropriate simple models.
     -Determine which approximation methods are best suited to solve real problems and evaluate the accuracy of those approximations.
     -Analyze experiments that probe the quantum mechanical nature of matter to gain insight into the structure and dynamics of atoms, molecules, and nanomaterials.

Overall, these 5 student learning outcomes will help the students to achieve mastery in the fundamental knowledge of quantum mechanics, the underlying theory for all of chemistry. In addition, the course will provide an introduction to communication and teamwork skills, as well as ethics and the role of chemistry in society.

Required Text: “Physical Chemistry, A Molecular Approach” by Donald A. McQuarrie and John D. Simon, University Science Books, Sausalito, CA, 1997; ISBN 0-935702-99-7. (Amazon standard price $99 new; cheaper new and used copies may be available).

Warning: There are some nonstandard versions of this book available that have the same ISBN number but are missing chapters and may have other differences. Please be sure that the book you buy has 31 chapters. (Don't worry, we will cover only 10 chapters in this course.)

Prerequisites:
One year of general chemistry (CHEM 2 + CHEM 10 or equivalent)
One year of introductory physics (PHYS 8 + PHYS 9 or equivalent)
Math through linear algebra and differential equations (MATH 24 or equivalent)
The textbook includes separate “Math Chapters” that provide review of the required mathematics where it is needed. It is strongly suggested that you review these chapters as you encounter them.

Class Policies: The number one rule is to respect the time of everybody in the class, including the instructor. Ultimately, I believe that this is the only rule we should need, but it is rather vague. To help overcome the vagueness of said rule, here are some examples of what this covers:
     -Refrain from using cell phones in class (this includes texting or having the ring volume above vibrate).
     -Refrain from talking out of turn.
     -Do not tease, taunt, or belittle others.
     -Anything that someone else reads (e-mails, homework, message posts) should be legible, with (mostly) proper grammatical structure and spelling.

Academic Integrity: This is a topic that I take very seriously. While I understand that shortcuts are attractive, they very rarely end up helping in the long run. Dishonest practices, like cheating and plagarism, typically prevent you from understanding the material, which is ultimately why you are here in school. A full description of the University policy, as well as the judicial process and potential penalties, can be found on the student life website. Students should be familiar with the University policy as anyone caught violating the policy will be dealt with harshly.

Disability Services: A disability should not impede learning. To this end, UC Merced provides a number of options to help people with disabilities suceed in their academic career. If you have a disibility, I encourage you to contact the University Disability Services Office to find out how they can help. You can find out more information on their website, e-mailing them at disabilityservices@ucmerced.edu, or calling them at 209.228.6996. In addition, please let me know so that we can take measures to ensure that it has a minimal effect on your ability to understand the material.

Grading: Overall, there will be a total of 1000 points, distributed as follows:
     -Homework (10 assignments, 40 points each) = 400 points
     -In-class exams (100 points each) = 200 points
     -Video project = 150 points
     -Final exam = 250 points

The grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
1000 = A+
999 - 920 = A
919 - 880 = A-
879 - 840 = B+
839 - 800 = B
799 - 760 = B-
759 - 720 = C+
719 - 640 = C
639 - 500 = D
499 - 0 = F

Exams: There will be two 50 minute in-class exams, worth 100 points each. The final will be a cumulative exam, worth 250 points. There will be no make-up’s allowed for missed exams. If you miss an exam and have a legitimate excuse (i.e. doctor’s note or equivalent) the second exam will be renormalized to make up the point difference (i.e. the other exam will be worth 200 points). All the exams will be open book/open note, and will focus on applying acquired skills rather than regurgitating facts.

Exam Schedule:
     Exam 1: October 8th, Chapters 3-6

     Exam 2: November 24th, Chapters 7-10

     Final: December 10th, 8-11 am, Cumulative

Homework: Homework problems will be assigned corresponding to each textbook chapter. The homework problems are intended to help you study and learn the material, and you may use information from any human, written, or electronic source for assistance in completing them. The homework problems will be turned in and graded.

Video project: 15% of your overall course grade is a video project. This project will be done in groups of 3-4 students, preassigned by me. The end result of this project will be a 10 minute video that you will post on YouTube that focuses on some aspect of quantum mechanics. The grade for this project will consist of two equally weighted parts. The first part is a brief description of what the video will be about, and will be due on November 1st. The second part will be the video itself. You will need to upload the video to YouTube, and e-mail me the link to the video. The descriptions and videos will be graded on information content only, not production quality or creativity.