PChemUniversityof Delaware

Chemistry 410

History of 
Physical Chemistry

 

 

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CHEM 410 has a limited enrollment.  If you wish to take this course, you are advised to register early.

Course Information

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Course Description

CHEM 410
HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY
3 hours
A survey of the development of chemistry.

 

This course focuses on the historical development of physical chemistry as a discipline, particularly in the United States, from the late 1880s to the 1950s and 1960s.  The course emphasizes the personalities and interactions that accompanied the development and spread of physical chemistry in the United States at a time when scientific study was being incorporated into academic life and universities were developing rapidly.

PREREQUISITE: General Chemistry.

Course Venue

Ø      Tuesdays and Thursdays

Ø      2:00 – 3:15 p.m.

Ø      218 Gore Hall

 

Instructor

Ø      Professor Cecil Dybowski

Ø      110 Lammot DuPont Laboratory

Ø      (302) 831-2726

Ø      dybowski@udel.edu

Ø  Office Hours:  Any time, if available

Texts

o        K. J. Laidler, The World of Physical Chemistry, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1993.

o        J. W. Servos, Physical Chemistry from Ostwald to Pauling, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1990.

Other Interesting Books

Diana Kormos Barkan, Walther Nernst and the Transition to Modern Physical Science, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1999.

Cathy Cobb, Magick, Mayhem, and Mavericks:  The Spirited History of Physical Chemistry, Prometheus Books, Amherst, New York, 2002.

Richard P. Feynman, The Pleasure of Finding Things Out, Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1999.

Istvan Hargittai, TheRoad to Stockholm, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2002.

Aaron J. Ihde, The Development of Modern Chemistry, Dover, New York, 1984.

Stephen Inwood, The Forgotten Genius: The Biography of Robert Hooke 1635 – 1703, MacAdam/Cage Press, San Francisco, 2003.

Laylin K. James, Nobel Laureates in Chemistry 1901 –1992, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1993.

Lisa Jardine, The Curious Life of Robert Hooke, The Man Who Measured London, Harper-Collins, New York, 2004.

David Lindley, Degrees Kelvin: A Tale of Genius, Invention, and Tragedy, Joseph Henry Press, Washington, D.C., 2004.

Tom Schachtman, Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold, Mariner Books, New York, 2002.

John T. Stock, Ostwald’s American Students,Plaidswede Publishing, Concord, New Hampshire, 2003.

           

Exams and Papers

Exams
There will be two examinations, as indicated on the assignment table.  The examinations will have multiple-choice and essay questions covering the reading and class discussions.   There is no final examination in this course.

Papers
Because this is a second-writing course, students are expected to develop original papers on historical aspects of physical chemistry. Each paper has a length limit, imposed to prevent sensory overload of the instructor. Aside from the word limit, elements such as content, style, neatness and attention to writing details determine the grade. All papers must be double-spaced, typed (no handwritten papers allowed) on white paper, and neat.  Papers are due at the beginning of class, as indicated in the schedule. Late papers (with an unexcused absence) will not be accepted and grades of zero will be assigned for them.   If you choose, you may send your paper to instructor as a WORD document by attaching it to an electronic message before the time it is due; see the instructor before you use this option.  Plagiarism in all its forms is punishable by assignment of a grade of zero; that includes – but is not limited to – undocumented use of appreciable work of others as if it is your own.

o       Writing sample

Please write two paragraphs (no more than one double-spaced page) describing (1) yourself; (2) your interest in chemistry; and (3) your interest in history.

o        Paper 1

Paper 1 is an essay about a controversial topic derived from readings.  It should be no more than 500 words and demonstrate a particular point of view on the topic.  It is graded only on style, neatness, and on attention to details of writing, not on content.

o        Paper 2

Paper 2 is the major paper in this course. It should range from 2000 to 3000 words in length. Each student is randomly assigned the name of some person in the history of physical chemistry, on which he/she must write an original paper based on the person's life or on some incident in physical chemistry with which he/she is involved. It must be original in content.  It must use careful writing style, adhering to the rules of grammar and organization.  The paper is given a provisional grade and returned to the student; a student may return a rewritten version of the paper for additional credit, or accept the provisional grade as the final grade (by not returning a revised version).

o        Paper 3

This paper is a short (no more than two pages) exposition of a topic in the history of physical chemistry.  It must be clear, concise, and complete.  The topic is chosen by the student and must be original.  It will be graded on both style, content, and originality.

 

BECAUSE STUDENTS HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO COMPLETE ALL ASSIGNMENTS, THERE ARE NO INCOMPLETES IN THIS CLASS.

Class Attendance and Participation

Attendance is mandatory and is checked each class period.  Absences are excused only for illness or university-approved activities (sports or band, for example). Exams, homework or quizzes missed because of an unexcused absence are given grades of zero.   Not only is attendance mandatory, but participation in the discussion is a determinant of your grade.  (See below.)  Assignments are due on specific days, and will not be accepted later than that, except for excused absences.

Grading

Grade Weights

 

o       Writing sample, 5%

o       Paper 1, 5%

o       Paper 2, 20%

o       Paper 3, 10%

o       Each exam, 25%

o       Class attendance and participation, 10%

Grade Cutoffs (in percentages of total points)

o       A greater than 90%

o       B greater than 80%

o       C greater than 70%

o       D greater than 60%

o       F below 60%

Assignments

Week

Dates

Topic(s)

Reading

Writing

1

8/30

Writing, communication in science

 



2

9/4 and 9/6

Writing; physical science before the 1800s

Laidler 1

Writing sample due Sept. 4

3

9/11 and 9/13

Physical science before the 1880’s; communication in science

Laidler 1, 2

Writing sample revision due Sept. 11

4

9/18 and 9/20

No class 9/18; early physical science

Laidler 2, 3

Paper 1 due Sept. 20

5

9/25 and 9/27

Early physical science

Laidler 3

Paper 2 assignment

6

10/2 and 10/4

Development of thermodynamics

Laidler 4

Paper 1 revision due Oct. 2

7

10/9 and 10/11

Kinetic theory

Laidler 5

 

8

10/16 and 10/18

Bunsen, Kirchoff and spectroscopy; ionists and allgemeine Chemie

Laidler 6

Paper 2 outline due Oct. 16

9

10/23 and 10/25

Electrochemistry

Laidler 7

EXAM 1, Oct 25

10

10/30 and 11/1

A historian’s view of the Ionists

Servos 1

 

11

11/6 and 11/8

Americans in Ostwald’s laboratory, beginnings of physical chemistry in America

Servos 2,3

Topic of paper 3 and outline due 11/1

12

11/13 and 11/15

No classes; work on papers 2 and 3, read about colloid chemistry

Laidler 9

 

13

Thanksgiving

11/20

Bancroft at Cornell, the Phase Rule, Willis Whitney and the beginning of industrial basic research

Servos 4, 5

 

Paper 2 due Nov. 20

14

11/27 and 11/29

Conflicts involving physical chemistry: Noyes and Bancroft; Noyes and Walker; Pauling and the rise of Caltech and Berkeley

Servos 6,7

Paper 3 due Nov. 29

15

12/4

After World War II, Vannevar Bush and the development of present-day US-government-supported science; Nixon and the war on cancer

 

EXAM 2, Dec 4

 


Copyright, Cecil Dybowski, 1998-2007.
Last Updated: November 6, 2007.
This page maintained by Cecil Dybowski.
URL of this document: http://www.udel.edu/pchem/C410/c410.htm