CHM102: Atoms molecules and symmetry

        [Cr:3, Lc:2, Tt:1, Lb:0]

Course Outline

• Atomic structure, spectrum of hydrogen atom, Stark effect, Zeeman effect, wave-mechanical description of matter, photoelectric effect, de Broglie hypothesis, uncertainty principle, the need for quantum theory.
• Postulates of quantum mechanics, state of a system, probability amplitude, probability density, operators and observables, Hermitian operators, commutators, expectation value.
• The wave equation, Schröinger equation and its significance, particle in a 1D, 2D and 3D-box, introduction to polar and spherical coordinates, hydrogen atom, the concept of orbitals, quantum numbers, helium atom, term symbols.
• Symmetry, symmetry elements and symmetry operations, properties of reducible and irreducible representations, construction of character tables.
• Chemical bonding, symmetry and properties of orbitals, linear combination of atomic orbitals, valence-bond theory, molecular orbital theory, comparison between valence bond and molecular orbital theories, examples of homonuclear and heteronuclear systems, electronic configuration of molecules in terms of MO theory.

Recommended Reading

• D. A. McQuarrie, J. D. Simon, Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach, Indian Edition, 1st Ed, University Science Books, California (1997).
• P. Atkins, J de Paula, Physical Chemistry, 8th Ed, Oxford University Press, New Delhi (2006).
• I. N. Levine, Physical Chemistry, 5th Ed, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi (2007).