Chemical Thermodynamics I: Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics (edX)

In this course, you will explore the foundational principles of thermodynamics for chemical systems and how these principles connect to the properties of the molecules that comprise them. You will explore the laws of thermodynamics and how they combine to establish the relationships between entropy, energy, work, and heat flow. You will then leverage these relationships to understand the nature of equilibrium and the forces that drive spontaneous transformations. You will then be introduced to the field of statistical mechanics, which formalizes the molecular scale origins of thermodynamic principles. Finally, you will leverage your understanding of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics to explore fundamental applications, including heat engines, calorimetry, and equilibrium in multi-component systems.
Prerequisites:

- Undergraduate General Chemistry (e.g. 5.01x - General Chemistry I: Atoms, Molecules, and Bonding and 5.02x - General Chemistry II: Chemical Equilibrium, Kinetics, and Transition Metals recommended)

- Multi-Variable Calculus

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