Reading assignments are listed here. Please remember to post your comments and questions to the course WebCT site. Thanks.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | September 3 Simulation; teamwork on microstates and combinatorics |
9/4 Binomial distribution; mean values; derivative trick Reading: ii-25 |
9/5 |
9/6 mean values; dispersion; Stirling approximation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/9 Gaussian distribution Reading: Chapter 2 |
9/10 Central limit theorem + combinatorics/normal |
9/11 Entropy and temperature Reading: 55-77 HW 1 |
9/12 |
9/13 Einstein's brick Reading: Chapter 4 |
| 9/16 Boltzmann factor Reading: Chapter 5 |
9/17 Partition function and average energy; 2-level system |
9/18 Quantum SHO HW 2 |
9/19 |
9/20 Heat capacity |
| 9/23 Shoes and the probability view of entropy Reading: Chapter 6 |
9/24 Classical phase space, equipartition |
9/25 Equipartition Reading: 145-157 HW 3 |
9/26 |
9/27 Equipartition and Maxwell distribution |
| 9/30 Particle in a box Reading: 157-168 |
10/1 Midterm preparation |
10/2 Midterm 1 HW 4 |
10/3 |
10/4 Midterm back; discussed |
| 10/7 Particle in a box, II Reading: 157-168 |
10/8 Equipartition; Ex 8.1, Ex 8.3, Q 8.5 |
10/9 Real gases Reading: 171-178 HW 5 |
10/10 |
10/11 Expansions Reading: 179-185 |
| 10/14 Chemical potential and the FRTD Reading: 189-196 |
10/15 Computer calculation of rot part funct stuff |
10/16 Maxwell relations; meaning of µ Reading: 196-205 HW 6 |
10/17 |
10/18 Isothermal atmosphere, etc. |
| 10/21 Fall break |
10/22 Fall break |
10/23 Ergodicity and connection to mechanics; overview of TD |
10/24 |
10/25 Why is it colder in the mountains? |
| 10/28 Extensivity, Euler, and Gibbs-Duhem? |
10/29 Roll your own Maxwell |
10/30 Stability of phases; Clausius-Clapeyron HW 7 |
10/31 |
11/1 Heat engines |
| 11/4 Joule-Thomson; gas liquefaction |
11/5 Reduction of derivatives |
11/6 Refrigerators HW 8 |
11/7 |
11/8 TD summary MT2 out |
| 11/11 Chemical equilibrium MT2 in |
11/12 Saha? |
11/13 Thermal diffusion; begin kinetics |
11/14 |
11/15 Detailed balance, effusion |
| 11/18 Viscosity & Boyle |
11/19 MT |
11/20 Grand canonical ensemble; Fermi and Bose HW 9 |
11/21 |
11/22 Fermi gases; metals |
| 11/25 Bose gases; thermal radiation |
11/26 Radiation |
11/27 BEC paper due |
11/28 |
11/29 Thanksgiving |
| 12/2 Normal modes of solids |
12/3 Einstein and Debye |
12/4 HW 10 |
12/5 |
12/6 review due |
| 12/9 |
12/10 |
12/11 HW 11 |
12/12 |
12/13 Final class |
| 12/16 |
12/17 |
12/18 Final due |
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Updated 10/21/02 .