BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE

INSTRUCTION DIVISION
FIRST SEMESTER 2022-2023
Course Handout (Part II)

In addition to Part I (General Handout for all courses appended to the time table) this portion
gives further specific details regarding the course.

Course No.: PHY F312

Course Title: STATISTICAL MECHANICS
Instructor-in-charge: TOBY JOSEPH

Scope and objective of the course:

This is an introductory course to equilibrium statistical mechanics. The course will have 4 broad
topics that will be covered: Review of thermodynamics, classical statistical mechanics, quantum
statistical mechanics and elements of kinetic theory. The course intends to: (a) Develop the
methods of statistical mechanics, (b) connect the laws of thermodynamics to statistical laws
operating at the microscopic level and, (c) apply statistical mechanics to understanding the
properties of matter.

Text Book:
(T1) Statistical Mechanics (2nd edition), Kerson Huang, Wiley
(T2) Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics, F. Reif, Levant

Reference Books:
(R1) Heat and Thermodynamics (8th edition), M. W. Zemansky and R. Dittman, McGraw-Hill
(R2) Statistical Physics, F. Reif, Tata McGraw-Hill
(R3) Statistical Mechanics, R. K. Pathria and P. D. Beale, Elsevier
(R4) Elementary Statistical Physics, C. Kittel, Dover

Course Plan:
Lecture Learning Objectives Topics to be covered Reference to Text/Ref.
No.
1-10 Thermodynamics Thermal equilibrium; Temperature; T1 (Chapter 1)
Thermodynamic variables; Equations of
state; Work and Heat; Laws of
thermodynamics; Entropy; Legendre
transformation; Various
Thermodynamic potentials: Helmholtz
free energy, Gibbs free energy and
grand potential
11-20 Postulates of statistical Microstate and macrostate; Phase space; T1 (Chapter 6)
mechanics Liouville’s theorem; The method of
& most probable distribution; Postulate of
Microcanonical ensemble classical statistical mechanics;
Microcanonical ensemble; Ideal gas
properties; Gibb’s paradox
21-30 Canonical ensemble and Canonical ensemble; Partition function; T1 (Chapter 7)
its applications Energy fluctuations in canonical
ensemble; Virial theorem; Equipartition
theorem; Application of canonical
 ensemble – Ideal gas, Harmonic
oscillators, Paramagnetism, Imperfect
gas; Van der Waals equation of state
31-32 The Grand canonical System in contact with particle T1 (Chapter 7)
ensemble reservoir; Chemical potential; Grand
partition function
33-42 Quantum Postulates; Density matrix; Ideal Fermi T1 (Chapter 8)
statistical mechanics Gas; Ideal Bose gas; Application -
Electrons in metals, Black Body
Radiation; Bose-Einstein condensation
38-42 Kinetic Theory Collision time; Viscosity of a dilute gas; T2 (Chapter 12)
Thermal conductivity; Self diffusion

Evaluation scheme:
Component Duration Weight Date Time Remarks
Lecture 5% Lecture days 5:00 pm – 6:00
attendance pm
Assignments Home 5% 1st Submission – Before 5 pm on Each
work 24th Oct, 22 the respective assignment
(Roughly 2nd Submission – dates. will carry
two 5th Dec, 22 2.5% weight
weeks)
Class quizzes 10 min 15% During tutorial 6:00 pm – 6:10 If N quizzes
(max) classes (not all) pm are
conducted,
N-2 best will
be
considered. ^
Mid-semester 90 min 35% 31st Oct, 22 4:00 pm – 5:30 Closed
Exam pm book*
Comprehensive 3 hours 40% 31st Dec, 22 FN Closed
Exam book*

* One A4 sheet worth of written material (formulas etc. and not solutions to problems or
derivations) will be allowed during the exams.
^ The quizzes will be conducted online and has to be taken inside the classroom. Kindly bring
your laptops during tutorial sessions.

Instructor-in-charge
Toby Joseph