PHY 294

Topics

Overview of thermal physics
Temperature and thermodynamics (1.1 – 1.4; 1.6)
Two-state system and multiplicity (2.1 – 2.3)
Large systems and multiplicity (2.4)
Entropy (2.6)
Temperature and entropy (3.1 – 3.2)
Paramagnetism (3.3)
Midterm Exam (closed book & notes): March 19th
Pressure and thermodynamic identity (3.4)
Boltzmann factor and partition function (6.1)
Paramagnetism revisited (6.2)
Partition function and free energy (6.5 – 6.6)
Ideal gas (6.7)
Chemical potential and Gibbs factor (7.1)
Quantum statistics (7.2)
Degenerate Fermi gases (7.3)
Blackbody radiation (7.4)
Debye theory of solids (7.5)

Homework


Homework #	Date Assigned	Date Due	Solution
4	Mar. 4th	Mar. 15th (Thursday, 5pm)	March 16th
5	Mar. 20th	Mar. 30th (Friday, 5pm)	March 30th
6	Apr. 1st	Apr. 13tth (Friday, 5pm)	April 13th

Lectures

	Section	Time	Room
	LEC 101	Mon. 4-5pm, Thurs. 3-4pm, Fri. 10-11am	MP 203
	LEC 102	Wed. 9-10am, Thurs. 2-3pm, Fri. 9-10am	MP 203

Section

Time

Room

LEC 101

Mon. 4-5pm, Thurs. 3-4pm, Fri. 10-11am

MP 203

LEC 102

Wed. 9-10am, Thurs. 2-3pm, Fri. 9-10am

MP 203

First lecture: March 2nd, 2012.

Grading

Date

Fraction of Course

Homework

~ Every other week

Midterm *

March 19th (Monday)

15%

Final Exam**

April 23rd

40%

* closed book & notes; calculator is allowed.