Course Title: Thermodynamics
Academic Year: 2003 fall
Instructor: Birger
Bergersen
Credits: 3 Lecture hrs/week:
3 No scheduled labs or tutorials.
Prerequisites: MATH 200,
First year physics
Required Text: An introduction to thermal physics, Daniel Schroeder (Addison Wesley 2000)
Description: The
laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamic potentials, phase changes, elementary
statistical physics
Energy in thermal physics
(3 Weeks. Text pp1-36.)
Thermodynamics vs. statistical
mechanics. Temperature and the zeroth law.
Ideal gas law. Microscopic model
of an ideal gas. Equipartition of energy.
Heat and work. Isothermal and
adiabatic compression of ideal gas.
Heat capacity and latent heat.
Enthalpy of chemical reactions.
Examples and problems.
(3
Weeks. Text pp 49-84,384-391.)
Macro- and microstates,
multiplicity factor. Two state system.
Multiplicity factor of Einstein
solid.
Interacting systems. The fundamental
assumption. Entropy.
Mathematical results. Gaussian
functions and integrals.
Large systems and numbers. The
gamma function. Stirling's formula.
Energy states of an ideal gas.
Distinguishable and non-distinguishable particles.
Multiplicity function and entropy
of ideal gas.
Entropy of mixing.
Review problems.
First midterm.
(1
Week. Text pp85-97, 108-121.)
Temperature, entropy and heat.
Mechanical equilibrium and
pressure.
Chemical potential and diffusive
equilibrium.
Engines
and fridges.
(1
1/2 Weeks. Text pp.122-134.)
Limit to efficiency of heat
engine. Carnot cycle.
Attempts to circumvent the second
law of thermodynamics.
Refrigerators.
Otto and Diesel cycle
(2
1/2 Weeks. Text pp149-186.)
Available work. Electrolytes, batteries
and fuel cells.
Extensive and intensive
quantities. Thermodynamic identities.
A simple polymer model.
Review problems.
Second midterm.
Phase transformations of pure substances. Clausius-Clapeyron relation.
Humidity in the atmosphere.
Nucleation.
Van der Waals theory of fluids.
Law of corresponding states.
Examples and problems.
(2
Weeks. Text pp. 220-225, 229-231, 242-247,288-295.)
Ensembles and averages. Boltzmann
Factor and partition function.
Maxwell velocity distribution.
Fermions and bosons.
Black body radiation.
Review problems.
Mark
Distribution
Assignments
20%
Midterms 20%+10%
Final 50%
COURSE WEBSITE
http://www.physics.ubc.ca/~birger/313toc.htm