THERMODYNAMICS AND STATISTICAL MECHANICS

PC2230 Lecturer: Kuok Meng Hau Office: Email: Tutor: Office: Email: S12 03-12 phykmh@nus.edu.sg Kenneth Hong S13 04-03 phyhcmk@nus.edu.sg

THERMODYNAMICS AND STATISTICAL MECHANICS

Prerequisite are PC1142, PC1144 or PC1431, and MA1505 or MA1507 or equivalent Elective module 4 MCs Lectures: Noon, Mon & Wed Workload: 3-1-0-0-6 Class tutorials 2 Semestral Tests

1 Examination (1 Cheat sheet A4 size, both pages)

THERMODYNAMICS AND STATISTICAL MECHANICS

Notes posted at IVLE Examples covered in Class Tutorials Lecture attendance advisable

THERMODYNAMICS AND STATISTICAL MECHANICS PC2230

This module is an introductory course in statistical and thermal physics, and is a prerequisite to advanced statistical mechanics. The topics to be covered include: mathematical background, laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamics functions, chemical equilibrium and phase transitions, kinetic theory, postulates of statistical mechanics, independent particle approach of statistical mechanics, basic distributions, ideal gases, paramagnetism, equipartition theorem, etc. Science and engineering students with a background knowledge of general physics are the targeted students.

THERMODYNAMICS AND STATISTICAL MECHANICS PC2230

Treat Thermodynamics integrated subject. & Statistical Mechanics as one

Advantages of unified approach: Statistical nature of Thermodynamic Laws (true explanation). Atomic nature of matter. More economical on time. Will only consider systems in equilibrium. Omit irreversible processes, fluctuation phenomena & transport theory.

CONTENTS
1. FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS Macroscopic physics, some thermal concepts, the First Law SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS I Direction of natural processes, statistical weight of a macrostate, equilibrium of an isolated system, Schottky defect, equilibrium of a system, equilibrium of a system in a heat bath PARAMAGNETISM Paramagnetic solid in a heat bath SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS II Second law for infinitesimal changes, Clausius inequality, simple applications, Helmholtz free energy, other thermodynamic potentials, Third Law of thermodynamics

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3.

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HEAT CAPACITY OF SOLIDS Einsteins theory PERFECT CLASSICAL GAS Definition of perfect classical gas, partition function, validity criterion of classical regime, equation of state PHASE EQUILLIBRIUM equilibrium conditions, discussion of equilibrium conditions, Clausius-Clapeyron equation, applications of Clausius-Clapeyron equation PERFECT QUANTAL GAS Quantum statistics, partition function

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BLACK-BODY RADIATION Partition function for photons, Plancks law, properties of black-body radiation

10. SYSTEMS WITH VARIABLE PARTICLE-NUMBERS Gibbs distribution, Fermi-Dirac distribution, Bose-Einstein distributions, thermodynamics of Gibbs distribution, chemical reactions

BOOKS
1. STATISTICAL PHYSICS Second edition F. Mandl John Wiley & Sons

2.

FUNDAMENTALS OF STATISTICAL & THERMAL PHYSICS Federick Reif McGraw-Hill

Available in RBR.

First Law

Second Law I

Paramagnetism

Second Law II

Heat Capacity of Solid

Perfect Classical Gas

Phase Equilibria

Perfect Quantal Gas

Black-Body Radiation

Systems with variation particle-numbers