P. Chem for Biophysics: Suggested Requirement or Not?

[^_^physicist]

I have recently been bouncing around and looking at biophysics programs for graduate school, and also noticing that I need to take some non-math/physics electives for my major. All while doing this, I have started reading some biophysics textbooks. Now here is my question:

Should I take Physical Chemistry (P. Chem) as one of my upperdivision non-physics/math electives if I intend on going to study biophysics in graduate school?

None of my biophysics texts outright say this as a requirement; however, a few of the schools I have been looking at have noted this as a suggested requist.

Anyone have any opinions on this?

 

[neurocomp2003]

if you have ever taken thermodyanmics ...no because that's what it is from a chem perspective

 

[^_^physicist]

I am planning on taking my thermo physics class the following term, if that is anyhelp. Here is a copy of the syallibus for the p.chem class I would take:

The chapters and page numbers referred to in this syllabus are from Physical Chemistry, 7 ed. by P. W. Atkins and J. de Paula.

Lecture No.
1 Chemical equilibrium, perfect gas equilibra; equilibrium constants
2 Equilibrium constants, cont’d, van’t Hoff equation
3 Acid-base equilibria and titrations, pH curve, indicators
4 Ions in solution, ion activities
5 Debye-Huckel Law, Extended D-Huckel law, electrochemical cells
6 Half reactions, electrodes, types of cells, cell potentials
7 Standard potentials, applications of standard potentials
8 Molecules in motion, kinetic theory of gases
9 Collision frequency, effusion rates, Fick’s first law
10 Diffusion, conduction, viscosity, conductivity
12 First (in-class) exam. [covers lectures 1 - 11]
13 Ion mobilities, Oswald’s law
14 Transport numbers, diffusion
15 Einstein relation, Nernst-Einstein, Stokes relation
16 Rates of Chemical reactions, techniques, reaction order, rate law
17 Determination of rate law, integrated rate laws
18 Reactions approaching equilibrium, relaxation methods, Arrhenius
19 Elementary reactions, rate-determining step, steady-state approx.
20 Pre-equilibrium steps, kinetic isotope effects,Unimolecular reactions
21 Second (in-class exam)
22 Lindemann scheme, complex reactions
23 Chain reactions, explosions, polymerizations
24 Catalysis, enzyme kinetics, Michaelis-Menten mechanism
25 Enzyme inhibition, oscillating reactions, autocatalysis
26 Bistability, chemical chaos, molecular dynamics
27 Collision Theory
28 Diffusion-controlled reactions
29 Activated Complex Theory
30 Final Exam

 

[mgb_phys]

Could be worth while, physical chem is definitely an area of chemistry that most chemists and especially bio-chemists are weak on.
It seems that there is a strong gradient in knowledge and understanding of thermodynamics/statistical mechanics as you go from physics->chemistry->bio.
Odd really because life is just thermodynamics!

 

[^_^physicist]

A second question to follow up on the topic: Should I jump into this course without one of the chemistry pre-reqs? The pre-req is described as the following:

Introduction / Philosophy / Format / Lab / Statistics & Sampling

Random Error (Uncertainty) / Probability and Statistics
Probability and Statistics – 2
Statistical Analysis of Data
Statistics, Data Evaluation and Decision Making / Chemistry!
Aqueous Solutions / Acid-Base Titrations
Intro to General Equilibrium Approach
pH measurement / Potentiometric Titrations / More Complex Eq.
Polyprotic acids
Complex Formation/EDTA Titrations/
Complexometric Titrations
Gravimetric Methods
Argentometric Methods/ Intro to Spectroscopy
Quantitative Spectrochemical Methods
Introduction to Chromatography/Gas Chromatography
Liquid Chromatography, Electrophoresis

 

[mgb_phys]

The first half of those you should already know if you are doing physics labs.
Acid-bases and titrations aren't that difficult to read up on, most non maths/physics types have trouble with them because they involve logs.

The principles of spectroscopy / chromatography are very simple - the actual real world method development is complicated but you aren;t going to get into that here.

 

[^_^physicist]

I am going to talk to the professor to asset if I will be able to take his class next week, so i'll know for sure if I can even take the P.Chem class next week.

It's good to know that someone else thinks I can actually do this stuff.