Wid-“Term Exam. Gate [Tine s 31 Dabew 2015 (Sebsrday) [Mori PHYS4031 STATISTICAL MECHANICS SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION IN WEEK 2 EXERCISE CLASSES (14, 16 September 2015) ‘You may want to think about (work out) them before attending exercise class. Concepts and techniques covered: SQ3 - Proving Stirling’s formula for n! and Inn! (using Gamma function introduced in Problem 1.4 in Problem Set 1) £ oquation and Gibbs-Duhem relation in thermodynamies. Using : '3Q3 Stirling's Formula follows from T- ‘This is related to Problem 1.4 in Problem Set 1. In Problem 1.4, the Gamma Funetion Fn) was introduced. Starting from Eq. (12) in Problem Set 1, show that nterpeny= [Oarerten [ahendenettern [Fly inction representation oF and hence nls Vian nte™ a Hence, illustrate that the Stirling's formula for Inn! follows. Done! In our course, we usually use InNIS Nin NV. ‘SQU A bit more Thermodynamics: Fundamental Relation, Buler’s equation and Gibbs-Duhem_ relation, and a scaling argument. "The first and second laws of thermodynamics combined” gives the fundamental relation [di = Tas — paV + pa @ ‘This is important. Tt says if we know B(S,V,N), ic. in terms of the natural variables of B, we ‘can work out 7, p, 4 and everything about the thermodynamics of a system by taking simple partial derivatives. Turning it into an equation for dS, then if we know S(B,V,.N), then T, p, x follow by ‘eosy derivatives. Nice! And the first formalism in Stat. Mech. aims at getting S(W, V, N). It is, however, not-at-all obvious from Eq.(1) that we have (Ese ® ‘which is called the Buler’s equation in thermodynamics. ‘TA: Starting with sealing up the system by a factor \ and that H/is an extensive quantity, i, BQSAV.AN) \E(S.V.N), and considering A= 1-+e with € <1 (ic, scaling the system up only by a tiny amount), shows that the Euler’s equation Eq.(2) follows. (Pay attention to the argument. You will need it in a future problem set.] The origin of this formula comes from the Huler’s theorem for homogeneous functions, usually discussed under Partial Derivatives in textbooks. Hoe isa by-product. By taking dl from the Bule's equation and comparing with the fundamental coquation, show that [Sar =Vap de), o ‘which is called the Gibbs-Duhem relation in thermodynamics. It is very useful for studying phase ‘transformationsswinging pendulum come to rest? Essential ideas of Stat. Mech. Gad law is nonded! because the first law cannot cover all the physics. For example, we know fat when a pendulum is lifted up to a certain height and released, it will swing but eventually it will gradually slow down and stop. You never sec, however, a pendulum at rest suddenly starts swinging. ‘There is a one-way tendency for physical processes, from which we have a sense of an arrow of time! This is a fact of life (and we keep on getting older, not younger)! But the first law docs not say anything about it. We need tho second law. This is why Wwe see inequalities in the second law, ie. dS > 0 in an isolated system. With inequalitics, then we can give a direction to processes. A ky idea in Stat. Mech, is that at equilibrium, all compatible microstates are equally probable. Here is a toy model (but the physics is actually real). Let P be an object (the pendulum). It is placed in a box with a few gas molecules. For simplicity, let there be only 4 indistinguishable molecules. At the beginning, the pendulum is given a "big energy” of 12 units (o.g- by lifting it up to 30 degrees ‘and releasing it). The 4 molecules are assumed to have NO energy initially. [They may be moving at the beginning, but we take this as the zoro reference. Tt doesn’t matter here. The physics is more Important] Altogether, we have five objects in the box and 12 units of energy. In torms of a microstate description, the initial situation can be described as a particular microstate (0,0,0,0; P = 12) (meaning zero energy for the molecules and the pendulum P takes all the 12 units) Now as the pendulum swings, the gas molecules will collide with the pendulum and then there will be exchange of energies. ‘TA: List out ALL the possible ways that the 12 units of energy ean be shared by the five objects. Note that (to prepare for V = 10 particles) the 4 molecules are indistinguishable. Therefore, if there are 2 units of energy in the gas, then a situation of 2-unit in one molecule AND zero in the other three is. Counted as one microstate; and another situation of two molecules each having one unit of energy and two other having none is counted as another microstate. OK? Think about all the possible division of the energies and give a table showing the number of microstates for every division of energy. By the fundamental postulate that all compatible (or accessible) micrastates are equally probable, also give the probability of finding each partition of energy between the pendulum and the gas molecules, ive, for P=0,1,2,...)12, Finally, call the students’ attontion to: ~ The initial situation is actually a highly unlikely microstate. ~ Thus, a5 the system evolves (collisions (soon as damping)), the system explores ALL possible ‘ilcrostates. As these microstates are all equally probable, the division of energy with the highest number of microstates will appear often. In our toy model (even in our toy model), the share of the pendulum’s energy drops. Point out what docs the most probable situation refer to (which value of P has the highest number of microstates and thus the highest probability to be seen). — Probabilistically, for such a tiny system (4 molecules and P), a pendulum at rest could suddenly. start swinging. Point out the probability of P having 6 or more units of energy. ~ But for an ordinary system with 1V ~ 10% gas molecules, the fate of slowing down and coming to a stop becomes deterministi — Encourage students to think (and re-think) what is being usod in this $Q to understand a daily- life phenomenon with a direction. This is nearly ALL of STAT MECH in understanding there is, an arrow of time, ‘One may think that the pendulum consists of a large number of atoms inside it and therefore we should count them in. Well, these atoms move together (swing together) inside the pendulura and their collective motions give the mechanical (kinetic) energy of the pendulum. ‘The random motions of the gas molecules, however, are the heat encrgy. (Reference: The idea inthis 8Q is taken from the book Great Ideas in Phypics by Alan Lightman]