CHEM 450 - Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics

1. Explain important concepts in classical thermodynamics, including the first, the second, and the third laws of thermodynamics, enthalpy, entropy, free energy, chemical potential, chemical equilibrium;
2. Use concepts of classical thermodynamics to predict the outcome of various chemical and biochemical processes;
3. Explain the molecular origins of the observed thermodynamic properties of a system of molecules using concepts in statistical thermodynamics including the quantized energy levels of translation, rotational, vibrational, electronic, and unclear motions of molecules, partition function along with its derivation of thermodynamic properties;
4. Use concepts of statistical thermodynamics to mathematically predict the outcome of various chemical and biochemical processes, including the ones that involve ideal gas system and binding equilibrium of biomolecules;
5. Explain the universal nature of statistical thermodynamics with respect to its treatment on the nature of molecular processes and the consistency between classical thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics.