Physics 313: Thermodynamics

Final Exam Info and Study Aids

The Exam: Dec 11, 3:30-6pm, in room 155, Irving K Barber Learning Centre.
This will be a closed book exam. You will be provided with this formula sheet and a table of physical constants, just like on the midterm and tests.

I will be holding office hours in the week of the exam:
Monday, Dec 8, 2:30-3:30
Wednesday, Dec 10, 10:30-12:30

Last year's final is now available on WebCT Vista.

A list of review problems to help you study for the exam. If you want to see answers/solutions to any particular problem, please come to my office hours and you can look in the solution manual.

Entropy survey
Louis Deslauriers, a Research Associate in our department specializing in Physics Education is trying to understand the conceptual difficulties associated with teaching/learning about entropy. If you would like to help him out, try to answer the following two questions about entropy (without consulting your notes or the book):
(1) Please try to describe in as much detail as you can the meaning of entropy.
(2) Use the concept of entropy to explain why/how the boiling point of water changes with pressure.
You should e-mail your answers to Louis at louisd@phas.ubc.ca. In return for your participation, he will offer you some feedback on your current understanding of entropy, which might be useful for the final exam. He will not share your individual responses with me.

General Course Info

Time and place: HEBB 12, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11-11:50am.

Office hours (Hennings 280): for the last two weeks of the semester, Thu 1-2pm.
Note: office hours might change during the course of the semester. Any changes will be posted here.

TA: Chung-Yu Lo
TA's office hours: Mon 2:30-3:30, Hennings 203 (computer lab)

Recommended textbook: `An Introduction to Thermal Physics' by Daniel V. Schroeder, 1st edition. Suggestions for other readings will be posted as we go along.

The final grade will be computed as follows:

Problem Sets 20%

Test 1 10%

Midterm 20%

Test 2 10%

Final Exam 40%

Total 100%

Complete course info (PDF)

Grading rubric for Problem Sets (PDF)

Sample solution to a simple PS question. (PDF)

Weekly reading assignments and Problem Sets will be posted here as they became available. PS solutions will be availble via WebCT Vista.

Lecture-by-lecture
Updated often. Check here if you think you might have missed something, or if you would like to read in the book ahead of the lectures.

# Date Topics covered, additional reading material, other notes. Reading (book sections) Handouts (in PDF) Assignment Due

1 3/09 Introduction: What is thermal physics?
Stirling engine demo. If you would like to learn more about the Stirling engine, check out this. We will discuss engines in general later in the course. - Syllabus
Grading rubric for Problem Sets
Problem Set 1 -

2 5/09 The ideal gas - a microscopic model. Temperature. 1.1, 1.2 - -

3 8/09 Equipartition theorem. 1.3 - -

4 10/09 Heat and work. Compression work. Work done on ideal gas. 1.4,1.5 Problem Set 2 Problem Set 1

5 12/09 Heat capacity. Latent heat. Enthalpy.
The two level system. Some combinatorics. 1.6, 2.1 Notes on some Quantum Mechanics facts -

6 15/09 Einstein solid.
Microstates and the fundamental assumption of statistical mechanics 2.2, 2.3 - -

7 17/09 Large and very large numbers. Sterling's Formula.
Division of Energy between two Einstein Solids. 2.4 Problem Set 3 Problem Set 2

8 19/09 Thermal equilibrium. Second law. Temperature 2.4, 3.1 - -

9 22/09 More on entropy, temperature and heat 3.1, 3.2 - -

10 24/09 The multiplicity and entropy of an ideal gas 2.5, 2.6 Problem Set 4 Problem Set 3

11 26/09 Mechanical equilibrium and pressure. 3.4 - -

12 29/09 More on the relationship between heat and entropy. Diffusive equilibrium and chemical potential. 3.4,3.5 - -

13 01/10 Paramagnetism. Negative absolute temperature 3.3 - Problem Set 4

14 03/10 Test 1.
This test will cover chapters 1 and 2, and sections 3.1 and 3.2
The test will be closed book. You are allowed a (non-graphing) calculator.
You will be provided with this formula sheet. - Solutions are now available on WebCT Vista -

15 06/10 Heat engines and refrigerators - general theory 4.1,4.2 Problem Set 5 -

16 08/10 The Otto cycle. The Carnot cycle
Otto cycle from How Stuff Works. 4.1,4.3 - -

17 10/10 More on the Carnot cycle. The diesel and the Otto cycles. 4.1,4.3 - -

18 15/10 The Stirling engine. See it in action!
The Rankine cycle (steam turbine)
A bunch of additional links on engines here 4.3 Problem Set 6 Problem Set 5

19 17/10 Refrigeration. Throttling.
Read more about the dippy bird. 4.4 - -

20 20/10 Thermodynamic potentials. Free energy and available work. 5.1 - -

21 22/10 Fuel cells. Batteries.
Thermodynamic identities. 5.1, 5.2 - Problem Set 6

22 24/10 Extensive vs intensive. Free energy and equilibrium.
NOTE: extra office hour after class, 12-1pm. 5.2 - -

23 27/10 MIDTERM
The midterm will cover chapters 1-3 and 4.1-4.3, or in other words, the first 6 Problem Sets.
You will be provided with this formula sheet and some physical constants from the inside cover of the textbook. - Problem Set 7 -

24 29/10 Away - guest lecture by Prof. Joerg Rottler
Phase transitions 5.3 - -

25 31/10 Away - guest lecture by Prof. Joerg Rottler
More on phase transitions 5.3 - -

26 3/11 The Boltzmann Factor 6.1 - -

27 5/11 Phase transitions, again. - Problem Set 8 Problem Set 7

28 7/11 Average values.
Equipartition theorem proved.
Continuous variables and distribution functions. 6.2, 6.3 - -

29 10/11 The Maxwell speed distribution. 6.4 - -

30 12/11 From Z to F. Composite systems. 6.5, 6.6 - Problem Set 8

31 14/11 Test 2
This test will cover material on Problem Sets 7 and 8 only!
You will have the whole class (50min) to write it.
You will be given this formula sheet and some tables of physical values. - Problem Set 9 -

32 17/11 Ideal gas. Quantum gases - the grand partition function. 6.7, 7.1, 7.2 - -

33 19/11 Bosons and fermions. Average occupation numbers.
More information on Bose-Einstein condensation. 7.1, 7.2 - -

34 21/11 Black body radiation: Planck distribution, temperature, frequency and energy spectrum in a cavity, radiation from a black body. 7.4 Problem Set 10 Problem Set 9

35 24/11 More on black body radiation, Cosmic Microwave Background.
More information on the Cosmic Microwave Background. 7.4 - -

36 26/11 The Sun and the Earth, greenhouse effect.
Fermions at zero temperature 7.4,7.3 - -

37 28/11 Black hole entropy. - - Problem Set 10

Problem Sets	20%
Test 1	10%
Midterm	20%
Test 2	10%
Final Exam	40%
Total	100%

#	Date	Topics covered, additional reading material, other notes.	Reading (book sections)	Handouts (in PDF)	Assignment Due
1	3/09	Introduction: What is thermal physics? Stirling engine demo. If you would like to learn more about the Stirling engine, check out this. We will discuss engines in general later in the course.	-	Syllabus Grading rubric for Problem Sets Problem Set 1	-
2	5/09	The ideal gas - a microscopic model. Temperature.	1.1, 1.2	-	-
3	8/09	Equipartition theorem.	1.3	-	-
4	10/09	Heat and work. Compression work. Work done on ideal gas.	1.4,1.5	Problem Set 2	Problem Set 1
5	12/09	Heat capacity. Latent heat. Enthalpy. The two level system. Some combinatorics.	1.6, 2.1	Notes on some Quantum Mechanics facts	-
6	15/09	Einstein solid. Microstates and the fundamental assumption of statistical mechanics	2.2, 2.3	-	-
7	17/09	Large and very large numbers. Sterling's Formula. Division of Energy between two Einstein Solids.	2.4	Problem Set 3	Problem Set 2
8	19/09	Thermal equilibrium. Second law. Temperature	2.4, 3.1	-	-
9	22/09	More on entropy, temperature and heat	3.1, 3.2	-	-
10	24/09	The multiplicity and entropy of an ideal gas	2.5, 2.6	Problem Set 4	Problem Set 3
11	26/09	Mechanical equilibrium and pressure.	3.4	-	-
12	29/09	More on the relationship between heat and entropy. Diffusive equilibrium and chemical potential.	3.4,3.5	-	-
13	01/10	Paramagnetism. Negative absolute temperature	3.3	-	Problem Set 4
14	03/10	Test 1. This test will cover chapters 1 and 2, and sections 3.1 and 3.2 The test will be closed book. You are allowed a (non-graphing) calculator. You will be provided with this formula sheet.	-	Solutions are now available on WebCT Vista	-
15	06/10	Heat engines and refrigerators - general theory	4.1,4.2	Problem Set 5	-
16	08/10	The Otto cycle. The Carnot cycle Otto cycle from How Stuff Works.	4.1,4.3	-	-
17	10/10	More on the Carnot cycle. The diesel and the Otto cycles.	4.1,4.3	-	-
18	15/10	The Stirling engine. See it in action! The Rankine cycle (steam turbine) A bunch of additional links on engines here	4.3	Problem Set 6	Problem Set 5
19	17/10	Refrigeration. Throttling. Read more about the dippy bird.	4.4	-	-
20	20/10	Thermodynamic potentials. Free energy and available work.	5.1	-	-
21	22/10	Fuel cells. Batteries. Thermodynamic identities.	5.1, 5.2	-	Problem Set 6
22	24/10	Extensive vs intensive. Free energy and equilibrium. NOTE: extra office hour after class, 12-1pm.	5.2	-	-
23	27/10	MIDTERM The midterm will cover chapters 1-3 and 4.1-4.3, or in other words, the first 6 Problem Sets. You will be provided with this formula sheet and some physical constants from the inside cover of the textbook.	-	Problem Set 7	-
24	29/10	Away - guest lecture by Prof. Joerg Rottler Phase transitions	5.3	-	-
25	31/10	Away - guest lecture by Prof. Joerg Rottler More on phase transitions	5.3	-	-
26	3/11	The Boltzmann Factor	6.1	-	-
27	5/11	Phase transitions, again.	-	Problem Set 8	Problem Set 7
28	7/11	Average values. Equipartition theorem proved. Continuous variables and distribution functions.	6.2, 6.3	-	-
29	10/11	The Maxwell speed distribution.	6.4	-	-
30	12/11	From Z to F. Composite systems.	6.5, 6.6	-	Problem Set 8
31	14/11	Test 2 This test will cover material on Problem Sets 7 and 8 only! You will have the whole class (50min) to write it. You will be given this formula sheet and some tables of physical values.	-	Problem Set 9	-
32	17/11	Ideal gas. Quantum gases - the grand partition function.	6.7, 7.1, 7.2	-	-
33	19/11	Bosons and fermions. Average occupation numbers. More information on Bose-Einstein condensation.	7.1, 7.2	-	-
34	21/11	Black body radiation: Planck distribution, temperature, frequency and energy spectrum in a cavity, radiation from a black body.	7.4	Problem Set 10	Problem Set 9
35	24/11	More on black body radiation, Cosmic Microwave Background. More information on the Cosmic Microwave Background.	7.4	-	-
36	26/11	The Sun and the Earth, greenhouse effect. Fermions at zero temperature	7.4,7.3	-	-
37	28/11	Black hole entropy.	-	-	Problem Set 10