Physical Chemistry I

Students will acquire a detailed basic knowledge of  thermodynamics of chemical equilibria which is fundamental in many areas of chemistry and also in other scientific disciplines. At the end of the course, students will have a detailed knowledge of real gases, phase diagrams, Principles and applications of Thermodynamics to chemical systems such as heat and energy associated with phase transformations and chemical reactions, ideal and real solutions. Students will acquire the ability to solve a variety of numerical problems on the topics of the course, they will be able to identify the chemical and physical parameters of reference and to describe and outline the process under study.
Furthermore, in reference to the so-called Dublin Descriptors, this course contributes to acquiring the following skills:
-Knowledge and understanding: acquire knowledge on fundamental thermodynamic laws as well as on thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical reactions.
-Applying knowledge and understanding: application of the thermodynamic knowledge acquired to the chemical-physical transformations of real systems.
- Making judgments: identifying, collecting, organizing and interpreting data relating to the chemical-physics quantities that characterize a thermodynamic system and describing and schematizing their transformations
-Communication skills: ability to explain both in written and oral form, with scientific language, the concepts acquired during the course
-Ability to learn (learning skills): having developed the skills necessary to apply the concepts learned with a high degree of autonomy to processes and transformations of real systems.

Information for students with disabilities and/or SLD.

To guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with the laws in force, interested students can request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory measures, based on the educational objectives and specific needs.

Classroom lecture and numerical training

The Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics courses of the first year are required for the understanding of Chemical Physics I subjects.

First Principle of Thermodynamics: Joule experiences. Internal energy; enthalpy. Thermal capacities at constant volume and pressure. Reversible and irreversible isothermal and adiabatic processes. Thermochemistry. Enthalpy and thermal balances.

Second Principle of Thermodynamics: Entropy. Carnot cycle. Clausius inequality. Spontaneity and Entropy. Auxiliary functions: work functions and free energy. Equilibrium conditions in closed systems: Gibbs-Helmholtz equation. Fundamental thermodynamic relations and thermodynamic equations. Chemical potential. Gibbs-Duhem equation.

Third Principle of Thermodynamics. Behavior of matter near absolute zero. Absolute entropies and their use.

Applications of the principles of Thermodynamics: Ideal and real gas systems: chemical potential, fugacity.

Polyphase systems: the phase rule, Clausius-Clapeyron equation; laws of Raoult and Henry; Margules-Duhem equation. Chemical potential and conventions on standard states in solutions. Phase diagrams.

Thermochemistry: enthalpy, heat of reaction and chemical transformations

Chemical kinetics

1. Chemical Physics Peter William Atkins Julio de Paula, Zanichelli

2. Chemical Physics,  un approccio molecolare Donald A McQuarrie John D Simon, Zanichelli

Boltzmann distribution law in the kinetic theory of gases

Calculation of changes in free energy, enthalpy and entropy in chemical and physical transformations

Calculation of the expansion work in a reversible and irreversible isothermal and adiabatic transformation