[Compaq]

I'm struggling with our course in physical chemistry. What I find hard is to keep track of all the different assumptions and equations that differ depending on our assumptions.

I try to understand the assumptions and make it logical, and go through the equations' justifications. Our lectures are just a recap of what is in the book, just moving from one equation to the next. Our Professor spend very little time explaining the concepts - the hard part - and so going to lecture is a waste of time. I am perfectly able to read the book myself, I don't need the Professor to read it for me.

Random complaining away, does anyone have any tips as to how to grasp it all? We go through the three laws of thermodynamics, physical transitions for simple substances, simple mixtures and phase diagrams, equilibria and electro chemistry. Our book is Atkins&DePaulia ninth edition "Physical Chemistry", but only have a few chapters out of the whole brick..erhm...book.

I was hoping this course would "tie it all together", but so far it has been disappointingly presented. I know I should just suck it up and work, but I need that "aha" experience. Exams are due in one month.

Thanks in advance,
Anders

[mina]

you are not the only one how fells a well
many students fell like you because unfortunately many physical chemistry lecturers are as well as you all around the world
at the first point decide to chose another perfect one the next time it is not really important to have an organic chemistry perfect lecturer but for physical chemistry it is really necessary ...
now you have to help yourself Atkins book is not the only book in physical chemistry although in some chapters it is really good but I personally found Levine's physical chemistry really useful in electro chemistry and thermodynamic much better than Atkins ...
it treats equations better and I believe that can give you that "aha" experience.
I'm afraid you may not be able to tie all together ,they are all applications of thermodynamics in different reactions and transitions and they are not the only ones we chemistry students just face does reactions that are reversible and in closed systems most the time in equilibrium ...
good luck and study each chapter several times try to write all the equations and try to compare them. no one can answer the questions immediately. you have to reach the equilibrium and it takes relaxation time in chemistry . 
find new details in the final equations it is not always useful or even logical to memorize all the equations just learn were they are come from and why they have been proved like that is the equation isothermal, isobaric, in a closed system, an ideal gas system, or ..   

[Corribus]

Physical chemistry is probably the hardest course an undergraduate chemistry major has to take.  In fact I wager it is one of the hardest courses in the entire undergraduate curriculem.  Unfortunately, there are also a number of bad professors out there who are incapable of or unwilling to spend the time it takes to teach it well.  If that's the case there are no real suggestions that will help.  You are always free to post questions here though.

[Compaq]

Okay, just to update: I sat down with the book, re-read the chapters and lecture notes, and just started doing exercises. I tried to justify the formulas on my own, and everything seems to boil down to being able to solve the simple differential equations.

Long story short, I feel I did fine on the exam. Of the 40-ish questions, there were only a few I did not answer.

When I said earlier that I wanted everything to be tied together, I meant that the different chemical branches, inorganic, organic, bio-, etc., would  be tied together in physical chemistry, i.e. the very basics of chemical reactions. And I think the course redeemed my expectations. I appreciate how important this, and frankly, I'd like to do more of it!

Thanks again!
Anders

[curiouscat]

Physical chemistry is probably the hardest course an undergraduate chemistry major has to take.  In fact I wager it is one of the hardest courses in the entire undergraduate curriculem.

I feel like a freak!

I found Organic a lot harder than Physical. But then again I wasn't a Chem. Major!