1

Thermodynamics Notes
Physics 119 A
Nov 16, 2016

ignacio

Chapter 1
Statistical Thermodynamics
1.1

Distribution of energy between systems in equillibrium

The energy of the A(0) = A + A0 system remains constant and is given by

E (0) = E + E 0 = constant

(1.1)

We can write the energy of system A0 in terms of that of A as,

E 0 = E (0) E

(1.2)

Thus, the number of accesible states of A(0) can be regarded as a function of the energy
E of A only, that is, by (0) (E). So the probability of finding system A(0) in an energy
configuration in the range of E and E + E is given by,
(0) (E)
P (E) = C(0) (E) = P (0)
(E)
E

(1.3)

where C is given by normalization.

Now when A has energy E, it has (E) number of accesible states. At the same time,
when A0 has energy E 0 it has 0 (E 0 ) number of accesible states. Now, since every possible
state of A can combine with every possible state of A0 , we must have that the number of
accessible states for system A(0) is given by the product,


(1.4)
(0) (E) = (E) 0 (E 0 ) = (E) 0 E (0) E
Thus the probability of finding system A(0) in the energy range of E and E + E is given by,




(E) 0 E (0) E
0
(0)
P (E) = C (E) E E = P
(1.5)
0
(0) E)
E (E) (E
Recall that (E)E f is a rapidly increasing function of E. In our case,
Omega(E) increases rapidly but 0 (E (0) E) decreases rapidly