PHYS2002

PHYS2002: Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics

Science and Engineering

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About this Unit

This unit is designed for students who have successfully studied WACE Physics 3A/3B or equivalent, and have taken 1st year Physics or Chemistry units (preferably both), together with the mathematics unit specified above. The unit begins with a comparison of the ways of describing a physical system in terms of both macroscopic and microscopic viewpoints, and simple relations between them, such as temperature. The unit explores the zeroth, and first Laws of thermodynamics, including the concepts of heat capacity and enthalpy. Exploration of the second law of thermodynamics is used to describe the operation of heat engines and Carnot cycles. The concept of entropy is introduced, and some of its properties are examined using the third law of thermodynamics. It then examines thermodynamic potentials and phase changes in substances. The final part of the unit explores the kinetic theory of gases and statistical mechanics. We start with simple probabilistic descriptions of how energy is distributed in macroscopic systems, and derive the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution function. Applying this to ideal gases, we explore the concepts of pressure, viscosity, thermal conductivity and diffusion. Finally, we extend the classical treatment of energy distribution to include the effects of quantum mechanics, deriving the distribution functions of blackbody radiation and matter that are subject to either Bose-Einstein or Fermi-Dirac statistics.

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Unit Details

Credits25

Contact Hours4 Weekly

Result TypeGrade/Mark

AreaSchool of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences (EECMS) (1153)

Field of Education010301 Physics

Handbook View Official Handbook Page →

Tuition Pattern

Lecture1 x 2 hours weekly
Tutorial1 x 2 hours weekly

Prerequisites

Prerequisites group 1Select One

PHYS1007v2Physics 2

Prerequisites group 2Select One

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