Thermodynamics Premaster Course

Course manual 2024/2025

Course content

The goal of this course is to give students with a non-academic background a solid basis in thermodynamics and kinetics.

Topics discussed are:

• the behavior of perfect and real gases, on a macroscopic and a microscopic level
• thermodynamic state functions such as energy, enthalpy and entropy, and energy exchange as heat or work
• the relation between free energy and equilibrium
• electrochemistry and redox reactions
• phase transitions
• reaction kinetics

Study materials

Literature

• Atkins & De Paula, Elements of Physical Chemistry, Oxford University Press

Software

• SOWISO/ANS

Other

• Slides, exercises, solutions to the exercises, practice exam questions

Objectives

• Explain how various state functions (pressure, temperature, volumes..) can be used to describe changes in physical and chemical phenomena.
• Use microscopic molecular properties (e.g. mass and velocity of molecules) to explain macroscopic thermodynamic phenomena (e.g. pressure, phase transitions).
• Calculate the heat and work involved in physical and chemical processes (e.g. pressure-volume work).
• Predict the direction of chemical reactions using Gibbs energy and equilibrium constant calculations.
• Use thermodynamic parameters (e.g. pressure and temperature) to calculate reaction rates.
• Explain how thermodynamics functions can be used to describe redox reactions.
• Calculate redox equilibria on the bases of electrochemical potentials.
• Illustrate how chemical kinetics concepts can be used to express how rapidly reactants are consumed and products formed.
• Calculate reaction orders and rate constants from experimental data (e.g. concentration substrate, temperature) and use these to predict the course of reactions.

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Seminar
• Self-study
• Digital assignments in ANS

The theory and concepts are explained during the lectures. In the seminars, the students can work on exercises and practice exam questions. Every week, the students have to complete a digital assignment in SOWISO or ANS. 

Learning activities

Attendance

Additional requirements for this course:

Attendance during the tutorials will be registered. Missing tutorials without notifying the TA or lecturer will result in a delay in getting help via email. 

Assessment

• The grade is based for 80% on the exam and for 20% on the average grade of the weekly assignments. 
• The assignments are mandatory. Missing an assignment means that that assignment is graded with 1.  All assignment grades are included in the average grade. 
• There are no retakes for the assignments, except for compelling personal issues. A retake can be requested via the study adviser. 
• The resit is based on the retake exam for 100%. The weekly assignments will not be included in the grade of the resit. 

Inspection of assessed work

You can contact the lecturers via email and fix an appointment to inspect and the exam. 

Assignments will be discussed during the tutorials. 

Assignments

During the tutorials, you will work on exercises to practice the subject discussed in that week. There are seven topics. Each topics has an assignment. 

20% of the final grade is based on the average grade of the weekly assignments (7 in total). 

• The assignments are mandatory. Missing an assignment means that that assignment is graded with 1.  All assignment grades are included in the average grade. 
• There are no retakes for the assignments, except for compelling personal issues. A retake can be requested via the study adviser. 

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. Jocelyne Vreede

Staff

• Sander Woutersen (lecturer)
• Melanie Messih BSc (teaching assistant)