Chapter 1 comes with all the modules. The Statistical Mechanics chapter, 15, was completely re-written by Professor Bryan Sanctuary. You can see the detailed Table of Contents by clicking the "Contents" tab just above this text. Only available in dowload format, this chapter covers equilibrium statistical mechanics from the most fundamental starting point and leads the student through the beauty of how statistical methods describe the collective dynamics of microscopic particles which leads to those few macroscopic thermodynamics functions they have learned about.
The approach taken in presenting the basic ideas is to start with the microcanonical ensemble. Traditionally stat. mech. is introduced using the canoncial ensemble. An advantage, for the author at least, is that a study of the microcanoncial ensemble gives a clear and satisfying way of understanding entropy. This approach helps students to get a deeper view of entropy. In the end, however, the Lagendre Transformation relates them all, so with canonical or microcanonical, we get to the same result.
Extensive and detailed examples are worked out in order to make sense out of difficult concepts, like the statistical treatment of degeneracy. The work, however, is not all theory and gives the standard relationships between thermodynamic quantities and partition functions. The translational, rotational, etc. modes are evaluated for special cases, and application to equilibrium constants and Transition State Theory are developed. Finally there is an appendix on Combinatorials and many new problems.
Download the Statistical Mechanics Solutions Manual for free. It contains the solutions to all the problems as worked out by students themselves. This peer learning model is a valuable asset for students. Check for up-dates.
The programs can be installed and run on a variety of system configurations. The minimum requirements are described below for PCs and MACs.
IBM/PC Compatible
Microsoft®Windows®2000 with Service Pack 4, Windows Server® 2003 and 2008; Windows XP Professional, Home Edition, or Tablet PC Edition with Service Pack 2 or 3; Windows Vista®Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise with or without Service Pack 1
Intel®1.3 GHz processor
128MB of RAM (256MB recommended)
Disk Space: 1 Gig free hard drive space
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0, 6.0 with Service Pack 1, 7.0 or 8.0; Firefox 2.0 or 3.0
Statistical Mechanics 15.1 Introduction and Historical Backgound
Maxell’s Demom
Forms of Molecular Energy
Molar Heat Capacities of Gases: Classical Interpretations
Introduction to statistical mechanics
The Ensemble Concept
The Fundamental Postulate of Statistical Mechanics Ensemble averaging
Bio: Ludwig Boltzmann (1844–1906)
Ensemble avearging
15.2 Probability and Entropy The statistical entropy of a physical system:
The statistical entropy of a physical system
Entropy for the Expansion of a Perfect Gas
Corrected Boltzmann statistics
Particle indistinguishability
Fermi-Dirac statistics
Bose-Einstein statistics
Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics
The Most Probable Molecular Distribution
The Second Law of Thermodynamics from Statistical Mechanics
15.3 Boltzmann factor and the partition function
The molecular Partition Function
Energy and Entropy
15.4 The Boltzmann Distribution and quantum statistics.
Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics.
Quantum statistics
The Most Probable Distribution
15.5 Equilibrium Statistical Thermodynamics
Natural Variables and the Legendre Transformation
Legendre transformation for thermodynamic functions
Legendre transformations of the entropy and different ensembles
Canonical ensemble
Grand Canonical ensemble
Non-interacting particles
Quantum gases
15.6 Thermodynamic Quantities from Other Partition Functions.
Residual Entropies
15.7 The Partition Function for Some Special Cases
Translational Motion
Rotational Motion
Vibrational Motion
The Electronic Partition Function
The Nuclear Partition Function
The Calculation of Equilibrium Constants
Direct Calculation from Partition Functions
15.8 Transition-State Theory
The Assumption of “Quasi-Equilibrium”
Derivation of the Transition-State Theory Equation
Thermodynamic Formulation of Transition-State Theory
Extensions of Transition-State Theory
Key Equations
Problems
Suggested Reading
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Extensive problems are provided that are an essential part of studying for Physical Chemistry. A full solution manual is available for free. This solution manual was written by students for students. It is well known that peer learning is effective, and therefore the worked-out problems provide a valuable tool for all those interested in understanding physical chemistry at the required level.