Chemistry 7600
Analytical Spectroscopy
Spring 2008

Instructor: Stephen Bialkowski
Office: ML-359
Phone: 797-1907
Meeting Time: To Be Arranged
Text: "Spectrochemical Analysis", J. D. Ingle and S. R. Crouch, Prentice Hall, NJ 1988

Course Content: The purpose of this course is to survey many of the methods of spectrochemical analysis used in the analytical laboratory. The lectures will be a mixture of practical, theoretical, and instrumental topics. Reading the book is an essential component of the class. There will be time to go into detail on certain subjects.

Course Objectives: This is a graduate-level course addresses various aspects of spectroscopic chemical analysis. The student will learn the relative merits of the techniques, the operating principles, and develop problem solving skills generally useful in chemical analysis. Instrumental concepts, spectroscopic data collection and analysis, and software, as applied to problem solving using analytical spectroscopy, will be discussed. The focus is on quantitative analytical spectroscopy. However, the basic spectroscopic information as it relates to physical structure will also be addressed.

Lectures: Topics listed in the book by Ingle and Crouch and current topics in the journal Applied SPECTROSCOPY will be discussed.

Examinations: Five to seven assignments will be given. These assignments are to be returned within a week for grading. Your grade will be based on performance on these assignments and the final report.

Homework: Reading exercises from textbooks and other outside sources will be assigned. Students are expected to find, read, and interpret articles found in the scientific literature. Students will also learn how to use "the net" to research topics.

Grading: Your grade will be based on homework assignments (70%) and a final report describing the operation of a particular technique reported on in Applied SPECTROSCOPY (30%). Your report will add thought to the original paper and describe the details left out of the paper. The report to be turned in on the day of the final will consist of an Applied SPECTROSCOPY article printed since 1997 and a five to ten page narrative which describes the technique in full detail.

• Withdrawal Policy: This course will follow the University policy on withdrawals stated in the current Undergraduate Catalog. Drop dates are listed in the Schedule of Classes.
• Missed Examination Policy: Students may be excused from examination in cases of emergency.
• Attendance Policy: Attendance is required for satisfactory performance.
• Student Disability Statement: Any student with a disability that requires accommodations must contact the Instructor. The disability must be documented by the Disability Resource Center. Course materials may be requested in alternative formats.

Material: A tentative schedule is given below. Dates are only approximate.

Assignments

• Assignment 1: Problems 2-1, 2-7, 2-9, 2-16
• Assignment 2: Problems 3-3, 3-6, 3-14, 3-19
• Assignment 3: Problems 4-1, 4-7, 4-13, 4-17
• Assignment 4: Problems 5-3, 5-12, 5-18
• Assignment 5: Problems 7-7, 7-8, 7-9, 7-10
• Assignment 6: Problems 8-3, 8-10, 8-13, 10-14
• Assignment 7: Problems 12-6, 12-8, 13-2, 13-17

Contact

Professor Stephen E. Bialkowski
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322-0300 USA
Office phone: (435) 797-1907 FAX: (435) 797-3390
Email: Stephen.Bialkowski@usu.edu Office: ML 349 

Spectroscopy Links

• Several JAVA applets of interest to chemists may be run at GAMELAN. Your browser must be able to run JAVA to use these. Look to educational applets under the sub-headings of Chemistry and Physics. You will find a molecular spectrum simulator, an "on line" energy level calculator for the He atom, several molecular graphics applets, and even ab initio molecular geometry calculators. There are several interactive models for solid-state physics, applicable to semiconductor detector technology, also on line. You might also look into the Mathematics and Computer Science topics to get insights into those difficult concepts we all struggle with.

• A good site for spectroscopy information is through the Society for Applied Spectroscopy links page.

• Link to Prof. Charles Lochmuller's Factor Analysis tutorial

• Also, be sure to check out the links to photothermal spectroscopy through my home page.

Thursday, March 27, 2008