1. The Importance of Chemical Principles

MIT 5.111 Principles of Chemical Science, Fall 2014
Instructor: Catherine Drennan

Professor Cathy Drennan introduces this series of lectures about basic chemical principles. She describes her path to becoming a chemist and reveals her first impression of the discipline of chemistry. Goals for students of this material are presented as well as some examples about how real world problems can be solved through the applications of chemical principles. Teaching assistants for the course are introduced.

License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA

[wrestlelife]

I've been raising my hand for awhile but I still haven't gotten a handout

[the_arung]

Wow, she speaks so lively, clearly and legibly. You would want to listen to her.

[rhodamackenzie]

I'm 70. This is absolutely fabulous! Thanks so much for making it available.

[AlanCanon]

EPIC. My dad was a Ph.D. Chemist, University of Louisville 1965, his dad a Physics prof (Murray State University B.Sc. 1930, M.Ed. 1950). Dad and Granddaddy were good teachers (and known for it within their respective communities), but not as good as Professor Drennan. I am going to listen to this entire series. I am a failed physicist but I still remember my differential and integral calculus, and vector calculus, so I might have a shot at understanding this course, if calc still works the way it did when I learnt it. I can't solve a differential equation, but I can read one and say what the pieces mean. I know the Standard Model and a bit about curved spacetime, and understand electronics as a practitioner. (I know Maxwell's Equations). Thank you, MIT, for making this content available. It is perfect for a 'life learner' like me (aged 55).

[ivysauberan]

I can identify with what she is saying about not appreciating chemistry at first. I loved advanced math, and AP chem bored me to death. All that mindless computation and stoichiometry...I was so glad when it was over. But then I took a more advanced course and learned about SSA, MCB, thermodynamics, transition metals, and organic chemistry. I began to appreciate it and be excited about it in the same way I was about math. I felt encouraged when she said chemistry is useful for math/physics careers like engineering. All the disciplines of science are interconnected, so I'm trying to do my best to understand them all at a deeper level and appreciate how they complement each other.

[s.hameed]

I feel that this course is very important for all the researchers in material science and engineering. I am so excited that I have started understanding the Physical significance of several things especially, orbitals using SCHRODINGER equation. I have planned to offer this course to my Ph.D students (in the future) as an optional subject. By the way, the course title perfectly fits.

[petemiller]

Wow, I have never seen so many TA's for a class! That must be awesome for the professor to have that much support.

[mau]

I kinda feel related to her story with chemistry, because I gave zero rocks in chem at High School and even hated it a little bit, but later on I discovered how amazing can it be... so I decided to study chemisty at the university and now I'm almost senior

[paul_lewallen]

This lecture is a great supplement to my courses at community college.

[wanyuchen]

These open course helps me a lot. Even though I've graduated from school for many years, I still found some topic that I never learned before. That really makes me excited, and let me spend time on chemistry again!

[cydneycustalow]

I love the mention of how people can find their passion later in life. I graduated with my BS in Biochemistry with the aims of working in a lab only to become a biology AND chemistry teacher at an all girls school. I just love the mention of differences. Oh and on the topic of Kudrow, my classmate in high school and college actually is cousins with Courtney Cox! It all comes full circle for me right now 😂

[homosapien]

I am 14 minutes in and i love it. My chemistry exam is in a couple months so i thought okay let's start. And if the rest of the journey is going to be this interesting, i am excited!

[ImmaculataNyoyoko-qvyf]

Prof. You are indeed my role model, just looking forward to seeing you one and one, and it will be My dream comes true ❤❤

[rezafarzadfar]

I wish to see them, of course I will come to MIT in two years

[Loganreeder]

I noticed that when she put up the points of what chemists actually do, she didn't also have "making the explosives that they then make sensors to detect" which is what id love to do, both make a problem and make the solution, it's a perfect 1-2 to power.

[tturing]

This is an amazing teacher and very down to earth and communicative professor. I wish I had her in chemistry in high school. Then I would have had a complete different attitude to the discipline

[tszyuitsang]

wow, im so lucky. I was searching some video for studying chemistry and it was uploaded 10 minutes ago.

[nuduw]

Hey! That's the reaction quotient and which is greater than equilibrium constant in the instant of forward reaction- a quantitative relationship which we were made to believe in tenth standard (Indian syllabus four high school chemistry)

[megodzillaudeadable]

I really wish I had Dr. Drennan for Intro Chem!

[jaafarwamwere]

I will show my students this video. Kinda inspirational