Chemical Thermodynamics I: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Develop an understanding of fundamental thermodynamic principles and how they arise from molecular scale system properties.
Chemical Thermodynamics I: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
Develop an understanding of fundamental thermodynamic principles and how they arise from molecular scale system properties.
This online course is the first in a series of two thermodynamics courses from the MIT Department of Chemistry. Together, they cover chemical thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, phase equilibria, and kinetics.
What you'll learn
- Energy and the First Law of Thermodynamics
- Spontaneity and the Second and Third Laws of Thermodynamics
- Statistical Mechanics
- Chemical Potential and Applications of Thermodynamics
Prerequisites
Undergraduate General Chemistry recommended; Multivariable Calculus such as 18.02.1x
Meet your instructors
-
Graduate Student -
Francis Wright Davis Professor of Chemistry -
Instructor and Digital Learning Scientist
Henrik Heelweg
Henrik Heelweg
Graduate Student
Henrik Heelweg is a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at MIT. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemistry from RWTH Aachen University (Germany). In 2021, he joined MIT as a graduate student in physical/theoretical chemistry to pursue a Ph.D.
Adam P. Willard
Adam P. Willard
Francis Wright Davis Professor of Chemistry
Adam Willard is the Francis Wright Davis Professor of Chemistry. He received his B.Sc. degree in chemistry and mathematics from University of Puget Sound, and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the MIT faculty in 2013, earning tenure in 2020. At MIT, Adam has taught first-year general chemistry along with mid- and upper-level undergraduate courses in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. He has also taught a graduate course on statistical thermodynamics. Adam's research group at MIT specializes in theoretical chemistry, utilizing mathematics and computer simulation to understand the physical properties of complex chemical systems. His specific research activities include efforts to understand how water's hydrogen bonding network is modified at interfaces, how molecular disorder affects the transport of excited electrons, and how ions and water cooperate to influence fundamental processes in aqueous electrochemical systems. He is a recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation and a Cottrell Scholar Award.
David Grimes
David Grimes
Instructor and Digital Learning Scientist
David Grimes is an instructor and a Digital Learning Lab Fellow in the Department of Chemistry at MIT. David received his B.A in Chemistry from Amherst College and Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from MIT. He has taught general chemistry, undergraduate thermodynamics, and both undergraduate- and graduate-level quantum mechanics.