PHYS-254 Thermal and Statistical Physics

Faculty:

Skelton, Earl

The first half of this course deals with classical thermodynamics; the second half deals with its historical derivative, statistical mechanics. Topics to be covered include exact and inexact differentials, the Zeroth, First, Second, and Third Laws of Thermodynamics; energy transport via work, heat, and mass flow; closed and open systems; various power and refrigeration cycles; the Carnot cycle and entropy; properties of pure substances; phase transformations; equations of state; reversible and irreversible processes; exergy and entropy generation minimization; thermodynamic potential functions; Lagrange multipliers; Legendre transformations; the kinetic theory of gases; classical and quantum statistical thermodynamics; Bose-Einstein, Maxwell-Boltzmann, and Fermi-Dirac statistics; black body radiation; heat capacities of gases and solids; Einstein and Debye temperatures.

Credits: 4

Prerequisites: PHYS-150 and either PHYS-217 or -253, or permission of the instructor.

Course syllabi
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Spring '09: Skelton, E (file download)

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• 2004-2005 Fall and Spring
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