Physical BioChemistry: BCHM 485

Spring 2011

Course meets in Chem 2201, TuTh 9:30 am
Professor: David Fushman
Office: Room 1121 Biomolecular Sciences Bldg (#296)
Office Hours: Thursday, 1:30 - 3 pm
E-mail: fushman@umd.edu

Syllabus

Textbooks

Required:
Quantum Chemistry & Spectroscopy by Thomas Engel
Thermodynamics, Statistical Thermodynamics, and Kinetics by Thomas Engel & Philip Reid
Recommended:
Physical Chemistry by Peter Atkins and Julio de Paula, 8-th edition, Vol.2 Quantum Chemistry, Spectroscopy, and Statistical Thermodynamics;
Physical Chemistry with Applications to the Life Sciences by David Eisenberg and Donald Crothers;
Principles of Physical Biochemistry by van Holde, Johnson & Ho;
Molecular Driving Forces by Dill & Bromberg;
Biophysical Chemistry by Cantor & Schimmel.
 
Assignments:
Reading and problems are either from Quantum Chemistry & Spectroscopy [QCS] or from Thermodynamics, Statistical Thermodynamics, and Kinetics [TSK]
Date Reading Problems
05/13 Final Exam: Friday, 8:00am(!!!).  
Postings: 1. Don't forget to do the online course evaluation!!!
2. If you have questions related to the final exam, please come on Wednesday May 11, from 1:30 till 3pm. I will be either in my office or in the seminar room 2118 upstairs.
The Equations Sheet for your final exam is here. You might want to get familiar with it before the exam.
05/10 The second part of the class today will be a mini-review session to help you prepare for the final exam: please bring your questions!!! Another review session will take place on Wed May 11, 1:30-3pm.
05/05 Read handout notes. Handout notes on the random-walk model are here. Homework problems (+solutions) on polymer chain statistics are here. Do homework problems 1-5. Solutions to HW4 can be found here. Statistics of the distribution of the current total scores (before the final exam) are posted below. A typo in the 85%-breakdown score has been fixed.
05/03 Ch.15: 15.1-15.6. Handout material on polymer chain statistics can be downloaded from here. Do your homework assignments from the previous class!
04/28 Ch.14: 14.1,14.2; Ch.15: 15.1-15.6 Ch.15: Qs: 15.1-15.4,15.5-15.8,15.10; Pr: 15.2-15.4,15.12,15.28
04/26 TSK: Ch.14: (14.1-14.2) 14.3-14.8 Ch.14: Qs: 14.2-14.6, 14.10, 14.12; Pr: 14.1, 14.10, 14.14, 14.18. Your graded Homework #4 (due May 3, 2011) is here.
04/21 TSK: Ch.13 till the end. CH.13: Qs: 13.4,13.8; Prs: 13.6,13.9,13.11,13.18,13.22, (13.4). Using a calculator, assess the accuracy of Stirling's approximation for N! and ln(N!)
04/19 TSK: Ch.12: 12.1-12.4; Ch.13: 13.1-13.5 Ch.13: Qs: 13.1-13.3,13.5-13.7; Pr: 13.1,13.5,13.12,13.17. Solutions to Exam #2 problems can be found below.
04/14 Midterm Exam #2 Don't forget to bring a pen/pencil and a calculator.
04/12 Preparation for the midterm exam #2. Solutions to your graded homework #3 can be found here.
04/07 Ch.17: 17.3-17.6; (17.13(FT)) Ch.17: Q: 17.3; Pr: 17.6,17.13. The equations helpsheet for Exam #2 is here.
04/05 Ch.17: 17.1-17.2, 17.11 Ch.17: Ex.Pr 17.1; Q: 17.14; Pr: 17.3. Your graded Homework #3 (due April 12, 2011) is here.
03/31 Ch.8: 8.4-6,8.8 Ch.8: Qs: 8.1,8.7,8.10,8.12; Pr: 8.6,8.7,9.11,8.28; Show by direct calculation of the transition dipole moment that the selection rule for transitions between two rotational states is Delta_L=+/-1. Assume that the electric field compoonent of the EM wave is along the z axis, state #1 corresponds to L=0 and consider state #2 corresponding to L=1 or L=2 (set m_subL=0 for all these states). The distribution of the current scores is posted below under "Exam #1 Statistics".
03/29 Ch.8: 8.1,8.2,8.9 Do Example problems. Solutions to graded Homework #2 can be found here.
03/17 Ch.10: 10.3 [10.4-10.6]; Ch.12: 12.1-12.4, 12.6, 12.7-12.9; Ch.13: 13.1-13.2, 13.4. Ch.12: Q: 12.15,12.19; Determnine the eigenfunctions of the Sy operator for spin 1/2.
03/15 Ch.10: 10.1-10.3; Ch.6: 6.2 Ch.10: Qs: 10.7,10.12,10.20; Pr: 10.2,10.3,10.6,10.7
03/10 Ch.9 Ch.9: Pr: 9.4,9.5,9.16,9.25. Solutions to midterm exam #1 problems can be found below.
03/08 Ch.9 Ch.9: Example.Problems: 9.1-9.6; Qs: 9.6-9.10, 9.15; Show that expt(-r/a) is a solution to the Shroedinger Eq. for H-atom, determine a and E; Calc. the energy of the lowest-energy state. Do similar calculations assuming that the only interaction of the electron with the nucleus is gravitational.
03/03 Midterm Exam #1 Don't forget to bring a pen/pencil and a calculator! Your graded Homework #2 (due March 15, 2011) is here.
03/01 Ch.7: 7.3-7.5,7.8 Preparation for the midterm exam on Thursday. After the exam: Ch.7: Qs: 7.2-7.4,7.6,7.9,7.11,7.13; Pr: 7.4,7.6,7.7,7.33,7.34
02/24 Ch 7: 7.2, 7.7 Ch.7: Q: 7.10 Pr: 7.10,7.21,7.25. Help-sheet with equations for midterm Exam #1 can be found here. The review session for the upcoming Exam #1 will take place on Tuesday March 1, 3-4pm, in Rm 2118 Biomolecular Sciences Bldg (#296). Bring your questions!
02/22 Ch.7: 7.1, 7.6 Ch.7: Qs: 7.1,7.5,7.14,7.15; Pr: 7.8,7.13,7.14,7.16,7.23. Solutions to HW#1 can be found here.
02/17 Ch.6:6.1,6.3,6.4 Ch.6: Example Pr: 6.4, Qs: 6.4,6.7,6.14,6.15; Pr: 6.3,6.6,6.9,6.11,6.22,6.23
02/15 Ch.5 Ch.5: Qs: 5.1,5.6,5.8; Pr: 5.7,5.4,5.5
02/10 Ch.4.2-4.4 Ch.4: Example Problems: 4.1-4.3; Pr: 4.10,4.12,4.15,4.18; Your graded Homework #1 (due Feb 17, 2011) is here.
02/08 Ch.3.5, 4.1 Ch.4: Qs: 4.3-4.5,4.10,4.11; Pr: 4.4-4.6,4.13. A sampler of graded homework problems (with answers) from previous years can be found here.
02/03 Chs.2 & 3 to the end. Please note my new office hours! Ch.2: Qs: 2.12,2.14; Pr: 2.21,2.27,2.28,2.35,2.36 + remaining problems from the previous HW assignment
02/01 Ch.2: 2.1, 2.5-2.7; Ch.3: 3..1-3.2 Ch.2: Qs: 2.3,2.4,2.7,2.9,2.11-13,2.15; Pr: 2.3,2.4,2.9,2.12,2.20,
01/27 Snowday. Use the extra few days given to you by Mother Nature to refresh your math. QCS: Appendix A1-A8.
01/25 QCS: Ch.1 & Ch2:2.2-2.3 Questions in the end of Ch.1: Q1.1-1.15. Using Wien's displacement law (1) estimate Lambda_max for your body radiation, and (2) assuming that Lambda_max = 600 nm for the Sun's radiation, estimate the temperature of the Sun's surface
Exam # 1: Exam # 2: Final Exam:
Statistics Statistics Statistics
Solutions Solutions Solutions
     

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