Classical Statistical Mechanics

Problem set: 1
1. A system is said to be in microcanonical ensemble if

(a) its energy is conserved at all times.

(b) its energy and particles are both conserved at all times. X
(c) only particles are conserved at all times.
(d) only volume is conserved at all times.

2. If two systems A and B are put in thermal contact, then at equilibrium

(a) SA = SB .
(b) EA = EB .
(c) (∂SA /∂EA )N,V = (∂SB /∂EB )N,V . X
(d) (∂SA /∂VA )N,E = (∂SB /∂VB )N,E .

3. A system in micro-canonical equilibrium must have

(a) (∂ 2 S/∂E 2 )N,V > 0.

(b) (∂ 2 S/∂E 2 )N,V < 0. X
(c) (∂ 2 S/∂E 2 )N,V = 0.
(d) (∂S/∂E)N,V = 0.

4. The heat capacity of a typical two level (0, ) system is given as

C = N kB (β)2 eβ [eβ + 1]−2

with β = 1/(kB T ). The low temperature and high temperature behavior are respectively

(a) C ∼ N kB e−β and C ∼ N kB (β/2)2 . X

(b) C ∼ N kB /(β) and C ∼ (3/2)N kB .
(c) C ∼ N kB /(β)2 and C ∼ N kB β.
(d) C ∼ N kB /(β)2 and C ∼ (3/2)N kB .

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5. Consider N impurity atoms trapped in a solid matrix with each impurity being in the energy
state 0 or . If the total energy is E, then the entropy of this system is given by
       
E E E E
S(E, N ) = −N kB ln + 1− ln 1 − ,
N N N N

From this, the low temperature (T → 0) behavior of total energy E is predicted as

(a) N/2.
(b) e−β .X
(c) 1/β.
(d) eβ .

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