2023 Faculty Courses School of Materials and Chemical Technology Undergraduate major in Materials Science and Engineering
Physical Chemistry (Thermodynamics)
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Materials Science and Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Hidetoshi Matsumoto
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Mon (M-124)
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- MAT.P204
- Number of credits
- 100
- Course offered
- 2023
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 8, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course deals with various physicochemical states and phenomena such as phase equilibrium, phase transition, mixture, solution, and chemical equilibrium based on chemical potentials.
Course description and aims
The students acquire the skills to thermodynamically describe various physicochemical states and phenomena such as phase equilibrium, phase transition, mixture, solution, and chemical equilibrium using chemical potentials.
Keywords
Chemical potential, Chemical equilibrium, Phase equilibrium, Phase transition, Mixing, Solution
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
At the beginning of each class, solutions to exercise problems assigned during the previous class are reviewed. Towards the end of class, students are given exercise problems related to what is taught on that day to solve. Before coming to class, students should read the course schedule and check what topics will be covered. Required learning should be completed outside of the classroom for preparation and review purposes.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | The thermodynamics description of pure materials | Understand the stability of phases, phase diagram, and Clausius-Clapeyron equation. |
| Class 2 | The thermodynamics description of mixtures | Understand the thermodynamics description of mixtures and Gibbs-Duhem equation. |
| Class 3 | The properties of solutions | Understand the thermodynamics description of solutions and colligative properties. |
| Class 4 | Phase diagrams of binary and ternary systems | Understand the interpretation of phase diagrams of binary and ternary systems and lever rule. |
| Class 5 | The solvent and solute activities | Understand the solvent and solute activities, activity coefficient, and Margules equation. |
| Class 6 | Chemical equilibrium | Understand the reaction Gibbs energy, thermodynamic equilibrium constant, Le Chatelier's principle, and van't Hoff equation. |
| Class 7 | Summary | Review the course contents |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Peter Atkins, Julio de Paula, Atkins' Physical Chemistry, first volume, 10th Ed., Chapters 4, 5, and 6, Tokyo: Tokyo Kagaku Dojin, ISBN: 978-4-8079-0908-7
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Materials used in class can be found on T2SCHOLA.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students' knowledge of chemical potential, phase equilibrium, phase transition, mixture, solution, and chemical equilibrium, and their ability to apply them to problems will be assessed. Student's course scores are based on a term-end exam (80%) and exercise problems (20%).
Related courses
- MAT.P307： Electrochemistry (P)
- MAT.P308： Interface Chemistry (P)
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are necessary.