Teaching Physical Chemistry-Let’s Teach Kinetics First

Arguments for the presentation of kinetic theory and chemical kinetics as the first topics taught in the initial physical chemistry course are presented. This presentation allows the first topic in physical chemistry to be mathematically more accessible, to be highly relevant to modern physical chemistry practice, and to provide an opportunity to make valuable conceptual connections to topics in quantum mechanics and thermodynamics. Preliminary results from a recent survey of physical chemistry teaching practice are presented and related to the primary discussion. It was found that few departments of chemistry have adopted this order of topical presentation.