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Enrichment • Series

Foundations of Chemical Thermodynamics

Nate I

Series Details

Sessions

Public Discussion

This series ended on August 25, 2022. All 1:1 and group chats related to this series are disabled 7 days after the last session.

Series Details

About

In this course, we will examine the principles that underpin the subject of thermodynamics and its application to chemistry. In particular, we will focus on answering the following questions:

1. What is thermodynamics, and why is it important in daily life?
2. How does nomenclature play a role in forming the language of thermodynamics?
3. What laws form the foundation of thermodynamics, and why are they important?
4. How can thermodynamics be used to facilitate our understanding of other important topics in chemistry?

Throughout the course, we will develop the chemical and mathematical skills necessary to gain a deeper appreciation for thermodynamics and its many applications. Consequently, students do not need prior experience in subjects like chemistry, algebra, and calculus to succeed in this course. Course sessions will mostly consist of lectures, but portions of some sessions will involve discussion and participation from the students. Moreover, students will have the opportunity to work on activities outside of class and hone their skills through practice problems. Attendance will not be strictly required for each session, but missing sessions may result in a loss of continuity.

Tutor Qualifications

In 11th grade, I took an honors chemistry class and got an A+. Additionally, I've gotten a 5 on the AP chemistry exam, and I have recently finished a first-year undergraduate course in chemistry, which covered all the major topics of general chemistry, including thermodynamics. I also taught a thermodynamics class to high schoolers over a period of five weeks during the months of April and May 2022.

✋ ATTENDANCE POLICY

As mentioned in the Course Description, attendance at each session will not be strictly required. However, attending and participating in each session will be encouraged since doing so will make grasping the bigger concepts of thermodynamics and the subject's place within the larger context of chemistry easier.

Dates

August 8 - August 25

Learners

24 / 30

Total Sessions

About the Tutor

Hello, everyone. My name is Nate, and I am a university student who is passionate about uncovering the world's mysteries through the power of science and math. I'm excited to be a part of the Schoolhouse community.

View Nate I's Profile

Upcoming Sessions

Past Sessions

Aug

Session 1

Orientation

Mon Aug 8, 2022, 5:00 PM

In this session, the course's general structure and trajectory of topics will be explained. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to introduce themselves so that members of the class can become acquainted with each other.  Finally, a discussion of the importance of thermodynamics within daily life will be started.

Aug

Session 2

Chemistry

Fri Aug 12, 2022, 5:00 PM

In this session, students will learn the basics of calculus: the limit, the derivative, and the integral. No prior experience in calculus is needed for this session, and students will only learn enough calculus to work with the material in the remainder of the course.

Aug

Session 3

Chemistry

Mon Aug 15, 2022, 4:30 PM

In this session, the discussion of the importance of thermodynamics in daily life will be completed, and the conversation will shift from thermodynamics' role in daily life to its place within the study of chemistry. The majority of the session will be dedicated to familiarizing students with the nomenclature frequently used within chemical thermodynamics. At the end of the session, students will be introduced to zeroth law of thermodynamics.

Aug

Session 4

Chemistry

Tue Aug 16, 2022, 4:30 PM

In this session, students will learn about the first law of thermodynamics and its importance in chemical processes. In particular, students will investigate how the first law motivates the concepts of heat capacity, enthalpy, and calorimetry.

Aug

Session 5

Chemistry

Wed Aug 17, 2022, 4:30 PM

In this session, students will learn about how enthalpy, heat capacity, and calorimetry are applied in the subdiscipline of thermochemistry. Towards the end of the session, students will briefly study the application of the first law to reversible ideal gas processes.

Aug

Session 6

Office Hours

Thu Aug 18, 2022, 4:30 PM

(Optional) Students are welcomed to attend this session and ask questions about the content covered thus far.

Aug

Session 7

Chemistry

Fri Aug 19, 2022, 4:30 PM

In this session, students will be introduced to the idea of spontaneity, and some of the class will be dedicated to discussing everyday scenarios in which spontaneity plays a critical role. Towards the end of the course, students will be introduced to the microscopic interpretation of entropy by learning how entropy and spontaneity are connected to each other.

Aug

Session 8

Chemistry

Mon Aug 22, 2022, 4:30 PM

In this session, students will learn about the two major parts of the second law of thermodynamics, and they will apply the second law to both irreversible and reversible processes. In the second half of the session, students will take a closer look at Carnot cycles.

Aug

Session 9

Chemistry

Tue Aug 23, 2022, 4:30 PM

In this session, students will learn about the Nernst heat theorem, third law of thermodynamics, and standard state entropies. In the second half of the session, students will begin to examine the Gibbs free energy.

Aug

Session 10

Chemistry

Wed Aug 24, 2022, 4:30 PM

In this final session, students will learn about how thermodynamics is applied to chemical equilibrium. The discussion will begin with a chemical description of the equilibrium state and its distinction from the steady state. Next, the empirical and thermodynamic definitions of the equilibrium constant will be introduced. Towards the end of the session, students will see how equilibrium can be used to probe the progression of chemical processes.

Aug

Session 11

Office Hours

Thu Aug 25, 2022, 4:30 PM

(Optional) Students are welcomed to attend and ask questions about the course as a whole.

Public Discussion

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