This second half of the General Chemistry course will focus on microscopic viewpoints of chemical phenomena, starting from a concise introduction to basic quantum mechanical principles with a strong emphasis on the molecular orbital theory. The goal is to straightforwardly introduce notions that advance beyond High-school Chemistry and to provide the foundations for a systematic understanding of the various disciplines in Chemistry for serious-minded students. Molecular structures and chemical bonding are central to the principles of chemical science. Starting from atomic electronic structures, this course aims to provide an introductory, pictorial presentation of molecular orbital theory and its applications to organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry. The applications of symmetry rules and point groups to the molecular theory will also be covered.
Planned topics: atomic theory, introduction to quantum mechanics (wave-particle duality, uncertainty principle, the Schrodinger equation, particle in a box, harmonic oscillator), atomic structure & the periodic table, molecular structure, bonding in diatomic systems, chemical bonding in polyatomic organic molecules, point group & symmetry.