MUNI UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

PHY3106 STATISTICAL MECHANICS

TEST 1, DATE: 25th APRIL, 2023, 9 a.m – 11 a.m
Instructions: Answer all questions

1. (a) Distinguish between a system and an environment as applied in thermodynamics. (2 marks)

(b) Explain briefly what is meant by the terms
(i) macrostate, (1 mark)
(ii) microstate, (1 mark)
(iii) ensemble, (1 mark)
(iv) ensemble average. (1 mark)
(c) (i) Distinguish between phase space and gamma space. (2 marks)
(ii) State four fundamental differences between microscopic and macroscopic systems.
(4 marks)
(d) Discuss any four areas where statistical mechanics plays an important role. (4 marks)
2. (a) Distinguish between the following systems and state the ensemble related to each:
(i) Isolated system. (2 marks)
(ii) Closed system. (2 marks)
(b) A system consisting of N particles. The possible number of positions q the particles can
occupy and the number momenta q in the system are given by
 N
V
Ωq = ,
(∆q)3
  3N
3N 4π mE 2
Ωp = e 2 .
3N(∆p)2
Using the above information, derive an expression for the number of states for the positions
and momenta of the system. (4 marks)
(c) Consider two gases of the same temperature and density originally in adjoining compartments
separated by a partition. The partition is then withdrawn to allow the gases to mix. Suppose
the entropy of the system is given by
 
V 3/2
S = kNlog u + NS0 ,
N
where the symbols have their usual meaning, find the change in entropy of the system if
(i) the two gases are different, (5 marks)
(ii) the two gases are the same. (5 marks)
3. (a) Consider two systems with number of states Ω1 and Ω2 . Show that the total entropy of the
combined system is the sum of the entropies of the individual systems. (5 marks)
(b) A system consists of a very large number of particles so that the quantized states can be
considered very finely spaced. If the density of states is given by
 3/2
V 2m √
ρ (ε ) = ε,
(2π )2 h̄2
Derive an expression for
(i) the partition function Z. (5 marks)
(ii) internal energy of the system. (5 marks)
(Hint: use the definition of canonical ensemble)