Chemical Kinetics

Chemical Kinetics is fundamentally about explaining *why* reactions go at the rates they do — moving past the empirical rate laws of undergrad p-chem to the collision-level physics that determines them. You'll work through transition state theory and its RRK/variational refinements, derive rate expressions from first principles, and read primary literature on topics like molecular beams, kinetic isotope effects, and quantum tunneling corrections, with two midterms and a final anchoring the problem-solving side. It assumes a solid physical chemistry and statistical mechanics background, and serves as the theoretical foundation for research in reaction dynamics, catalysis, and combustion modeling.