An Introduction to Thermal Physics

ISBN 13:
9780201380279
ISBN 10:
0201380277
Edition: 1st
Format: Hardcover
Copyright: 08/18/1999
Publisher: PRENTICE HALL

Note: Not guaranteed to come with supplemental materials (access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.)

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Summary

This text provides a balanced, well-organized treatment of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, making thermal physics interesting and accessible to anyone who has completed a year of calculus-based introductory physics. Part I introduces essential concepts of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics from a unified view, applying concepts in a select number of illustrative examples. Parts II and III explore further applications of classical thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Throughout, the emphasis is on real-world applications.

Preface

vii

Part I: Fundamentals

Energy in Thermal Physics

(48)

Thermal Equilibrium

(5)

The Ideal Gas

(8)

Microscopic Model of an Ideal Gas

Equipartition of Energy

(3)

Heat and Work

(3)

Compression Work

(8)

Compression of an Ideal Gas

Heat Capacities

(9)

Latent Heat; Enthalpy

Rates of Processes

(12)

Heat Conduction; Conductivity of an Ideal Gas; Viscosity; Diffusion

The Second Law

(36)

Two-State Systems

(4)

The Two-State Paramagnet

The Einstein Model of a Solid

(3)

Interacting Systems

(4)

Large Systems

(8)

Very Large Numbers; Stirling's Approximation; Multiplicity of a Large Einstein Solid; Sharpness of the Multiplicity Function

The Ideal Gas

(6)

Multiplicity of a Monatomic Ideal Gas; Interacting Ideal Gases

Entropy

(11)

Entropy of an Ideal Gas; Entropy of Mixing; Reversible and Irreversible Processes

Interactions and Implications

(37)

Temperature

(7)

A Silly Analogy; Real-World Examples

Entropy and Heat

(6)

Predicting Heat Capacities; Measuring Entropies; The Macroscopic View of Entropy

Paramagnetism

(10)

Notation and Microscopic Physics; Numerical Solution; Analytic Solution

Mechanical Equilibrium and Pressure

108

(7)

The Thermodynamic Identity; Entropy and Heat Revisited

Diffusive Equilibrium and Chemical Potential

115

(5)

Summary and a Look Ahead

120

(2)

Part II: Thermodynamics

Engines and Refrigerators

122

(27)

Heat Engines

122

(5)

The Carnot Cycle

Refrigerators

127

(4)

Real Heat Engines

131

(6)

Internal Combustion Engines; The Steam Engine

Real Refrigerators

137

(12)

The Throttling Process; Liquefaction of Gases; Toward Absolute Zero

Free Energy and Chemical Thermodynamics

149

(71)

Free Energy as Available Work

149

(12)

Electrolysis, Fuel Cells, and Batteries; Thermodynamic Identities

Free Energy as a Force toward Equilibrium

161

(5)

Extensive and Intensive Quantities; Gibbs Free Energy and Chemical Potential

Phase Transformations of Pure Substances

166

(20)

Diamonds and Graphite; The Clausius-Clapeyron Relation; The van der Waals Model

Phase Transformations of Mixtures

186

(14)

Free Energy of a Mixture; Phase Changes of a Miscible Mixture; Phase Changes of a Eutectic System

Dilute Solutions

200

(8)

Solvent and Solute Chemical Potentials; Osmotic Pressure; Boiling and Freezing Points

Chemical Equilibrium

208

(12)

Nitrogen Fixation; Dissociation of Water; Oxygen Dissolving in Water; Ionization of Hydrogen

Part III: Statistical Mechanics

Boltzmann Statistics

220

(37)

The Boltzmann Factor

220

(9)

The Partition Function; Thermal Excitation of Atoms

Average Values

229

(9)

Paramagnetism; Rotation of Diatomic Molecules

The Equipartition Theorem

238

(4)

The Maxwell Speed Distribution

242

(5)

Partition Functions and Free Energy

247

(2)

Partition Functions for Composite Systems

249

(2)

Ideal Gas Revisited

251

(6)

The Partition Function; Predictions

Quantum Statistics

257

(70)

The Gibbs Factor

257

(5)

An Example: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Bosons and Fermions

262

(9)

The Distribution Functions

Degenerate Fermi Gases

271

(17)

Zero Temperature; Small Nonzero Temperatures; The Density of States; The Sommerfeld Expansion

Blackbody Radiation

288

(19)

The Ultraviolet Catastrophe; The Planck Distribution; Photons; Summing over Modes; The Planck Spectrum; Total Energy; Entropy of a Photon Gas; The Cosmic Background Radiation; Photons Escaping through a Hole; Radiation from Other Objects; The Sun and the Earth

Debye Theory of Solids

307

(8)

Bose-Einstein Condensation

315

(12)

Real-World Examples; Why Does it Happen?

Systems of Interacting Particles

327

(30)

Weakly Interacting Gases

328

(11)

The Partition Function; The Cluster Expansion; The Second Virial Coefficient

The Ising Model of a Ferromagnet

339

(18)

Exact Solution in One Dimension; The Mean Field Approximation; Monte Carlo Simulation

Appendix A Elements of Quantum Mechanics

357

(27)

A.1 Evidence for Wave-Particle Duality

357

(5)

The Photoelectric Effect; Electron Diffraction

A.2 Wavefunctions

362

(5)

The Uncertainty Principle; Linearly Independent Wavefunctions

A.3 Definite-Energy Wavefunctions

367

(7)

The Particle in a Box; The Harmonic Oscillator; The Hydrogen Atom

A.4 Angular Momentum

374

(5)

Rotating Molecules; Spin

A.5 Systems of Many Particles

379

(1)

A.6 Quantum Field Theory

380

(4)

Appendix B Mathematical Results

384

(13)

B.1 Gaussian Integrals

384

(3)

B.2 The Gamma Function

387

(2)

B.3 Stirling's Approximation

389

(2)

B.4 Area of a d-Dimensional Hypersphere

391

(2)

B.5 Integrals of Quantum Statistics

393

(4)

An Introduction to Thermal Physics

9780201380279

0201380277

Summary

Table of Contents

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