The science of thermodynamics deals with chemical systems at equilibrium, which by definition means that their properties do not change with time. Chemical kinetics deals with changes in chemical properties in time. Consider the chemical reaction:
A + B -> C + D
reactants products
(1) qualitative description level: what products are obtained from what reactants under what conditions.
(2) the identification of elementary steps and transient intermediates in reaction mechanisms.
(3) the molecular reaction dynamics:
transport processes e.g. collisions, diffusion
reaction processes e.g. complex formation, interaction
Solved problem assigment questions (~3 per lecture).
1 Marked Assignment worth 10% set 1/3 way through course (lecture 3).
Exam worth 15%.
Collisions and Transport Theory (Chapters 25,26)
L1. Collisions: velocity distribution, collision frequency, mean free path
L2. Transport: flux, effusion, diffusion
Chemical Kinetics (Chapter 27)
L3. Empirical chemical kinetics: methods
L4. Rate laws and reaction order
L5. Elementary reactions: molecularity and T dependence
L6. Complex reactions
Reaction Dynamics (Chapter 28)
L7. Molecular reaction dynamics: Collision theory and diffusion control
L8. Molecular reaction dynamics: TST theory
L9. Molecular reaction dynamics: potential energy surfaces and the dynamics of molecular collisions
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