Physical Chemistry
Physical chemistry for chemical engineers: kinetic theory and real gases, Gibbs energy and chemical potential, chemical and phase equilibria, solutions and colligative properties, vapor-liquid equilibrium and azeotropes, electrochemistry and corrosion, reaction kinetics, temperature effects, mechanisms and catalysis, and adsorption, followed through an ethanol plant.
CHE-250 Year 2 3 credits 12 lessons · 4 h 50 min ▶ Video lessons coming soon
Offered by HSM University · Chemical Engineering
This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.
What you'll learn
- Use the kinetic molecular theory to calculate molecular speeds, mean free paths, collision rates and effusion rates, and relate temperature to molecular kinetic energy.
- Explain real-gas behavior with intermolecular potentials, estimate molecular size from van der Waals constants and interpret second virial coefficients and the Boyle and inversion temperatures.
- Apply ΔG = ΔH − TΔS to judge spontaneity, calculate standard Gibbs energies of reaction and use chemical potential as the condition for equilibrium.
- Calculate equilibrium constants from thermodynamic data, solve for equilibrium conversions in liquid and gas reactions and predict the effects of pressure, dilution and temperature.
- Read phase diagrams, apply the Gibbs phase rule and use the Clapeyron and Clausius-Clapeyron equations to relate phase boundaries to enthalpies of transition.
- Calculate the ideal Gibbs energy of mixing and the colligative properties of solutions, including freezing point depression and osmotic pressure.
- Use Raoult's law, activity coefficients and Henry's law to calculate vapor-liquid and gas-liquid equilibria, and explain azeotropes.
- Relate cell potentials to Gibbs energy and equilibrium constants, apply the Nernst equation and estimate corrosion rates with Faraday's law.
- Determine reaction orders and rate constants from initial rates and integrated rate laws, and use half-lives to describe reaction progress.
- Extract activation energies with Arrhenius and Eyring analyzes and explain temperature effects using collision and transition-state theories.
- Derive rate laws from mechanisms using rate-determining steps and the steady-state approximation, and analyze enzyme kinetics with the Michaelis-Menten equation.
- Distinguish physisorption from chemisorption, fit Langmuir and BET isotherms and explain molecular sieve drying and colloid stability.
Course content
12 lessons · 4 h 50 min total · final exam
- 1 Gases and the kinetic molecular theory 26 min · quiz
- 2 Real gases and intermolecular forces 23 min · quiz
- 3 Gibbs energy and chemical potential 25 min · quiz
- 4 Chemical equilibrium 24 min · quiz
- 5 Phase equilibria of pure substances 24 min · quiz
- 6 Solutions and colligative properties 24 min · quiz
- 7 Phase equilibrium in mixtures: Raoult's and Henry's laws 24 min · quiz
- 8 Electrochemistry and corrosion 24 min · quiz
- 9 Rate laws and integrated rate equations 25 min · quiz
- 10 Temperature and reaction rates 23 min · quiz
- 11 Reaction mechanisms and catalysis 24 min · quiz
- 12 Surfaces, adsorption and colloids 24 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
Physical chemistry for chemical engineers: kinetic theory and real gases, Gibbs energy and chemical potential, chemical and phase equilibria, solutions and colligative properties, vapor-liquid equilibrium and azeotropes, electrochemistry and corrosion, reaction kinetics, temperature effects, mechanisms and catalysis, and adsorption, followed through an ethanol plant.
Part of the Engineering stream, typically taken in year 2.