PHYS 321

Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

Midterm Examination Solution

1. (a) (2 points)














(b) (2 points)
Since
1 S
T U

, and the slope is positive, hence T is positive.

(c) (2 points)
Since the slope increases with U, hence T decreases with U.

(d) (4 points)

2 2 2 2 2 2
2 2 3
3
2
8 16 1 8 1 8 1
2
16
B B
B B
B
Gk Gk M GM GM
k k M
T U hc c M hc c hc hc
hc
T
Gk M

| | | |
= = = =
| |

\ \
=

M is positive T is positive. M increases T decreases.


S
U
2. (a) (4 points)
By
B
PV Nk T = ,
5
25
Ar 23
10 2
4.83 10
1.381 10 300
B
PV
N
k T

= = =



5
25
He 23
10 3
7.24 10
1.381 10 300
B
PV
N
k T

= = =



(b) (4 points)
By
3
2
U PV = ,
5 5
Ar
3
10 2 3 10 J
2
U = = ,
5 5
He
3
10 3 4.5 10 J
2
U = =

(c) (5 points)
ln ln
f f
B
i i
V V
PV
S Nk
V T V
= =

5
Ar
10 2 5
ln 610.86 J / K
300 2
S

= =

5
He
10 3 5
ln 510.83 J / K
300 3
S

= =

mixing
610.86 510.83 1121.7 J / K S = + =


3. (a) (5 points)
We can use a line of N partitions to represent the N oscillators, and use N-1 bars to
represent the boundaries of the partitions. The q balls represent the q units of
energy, which can be put into any partitions. Therefore, there is a one-to-one
correspondence between a particular configuration of the bars and balls, and a
particular way of distributing q balls among N partitions. There are all together
q+N-1 positions, and a particular configuration is defined by choosing q
positions out of them to put the balls. Hence, the total number of configurations is
choosing q items among q+N-1 items:
( )
( )
1 1 !
! 1 !
q N q N
q q N
+ + | |
= =
|

\
.

(b) (3 points)

( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) [ ] [ ]
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
1 ! ! !
/ ln ln ln ln
! 1 ! ! ! ! !
ln ! ln ! ln !
ln ln ln
ln ln ln
B
q N q N q N N
S k
q N q N q N q N
q N q N
q N q N q N q q q N N N
q N q N q q N N
+ + + (
= = =
(
+

= + (

= + + + + +
= + +


(c) (7 points)

( ) ( )
( )
1 1
ln ln ln
ln 1 ln 1 ln 1
ln 1 1 exp
exp 1
exp 1 exp 1
B
N
N
B B
B B
B
B B
k S S
q N q N q q N N
T U q q
k k N
q N q
q q
N N N
q
q k T q k T
k T
N Nhf
U q
hf
k T k T

| | | |
= = = + + (
| |

\
\
| |
= + + = + (
|

\
| | | |
+ = + = =
| |
| |
\ \

|
\
= = =
| | | |

| |
\ \


(d) (3 points)
For each ball, there are N ways of put it into one of the N bags. This is true
for all the q balls. Hence the total number of ways of putting the q balls into
the N bags is N
q
.

(e) (2 points)
This is because the q units of energy are indistinguishable, while the q balls
are distinguishable.


4. (a) (2 points)
The entropy of an isolated system can never decrease.

(b) (2 points)
For a system in equilibrium, every microstate is equally likely to be
accessible by the system.

(c) (4 points)
ln
B
S k = .
The multiplicity of a macrostate is the number of microstates corresponding
to it. By the equal-a-priori-probability postulate, macrostates with higher
multiplicities are more likely to be observed. If a system is initially prepared
in a macrostate with a smaller multiplicity, it is more likely to be observed
later at a macrostate with larger multiplicity.

(d) (6 points)
Suppose an amount of heat Q flows from B to A. Then

1 1
0
A B A B
Q Q
S Q
T T T T
| |
= + = >
|
\
.
(i) If T
A
and T
B
are both positive and T
B
> T
A
, then

1 1
0 0
A B
Q
T T
> > .
(ii) If T
A
is positive and T
B
is negative, then

1 1
0 0
A B
Q
T T
> > .
(iii) If T
A
and T
B
are both negative and T
B
> T
A
, then |T
B
| < |T
A
|, and

1 1 1 1
0 0
A B B A
Q
T T T T
= > > .

(e) (2 points)
Coolest 1K, 300K, 10
10
K, -10
10
K, -300K, -1 K Hottest


5. (a) (6 points)
The multiplicity of having all the N particles in the left compartment is
( ) ( )
3 / 2
/ 2
N
N
f N V U . The multiplicity of having no particles in the right
compartment is 1. Hence
( )( ) ( )( )
3 / 2 3 / 2
1 / 2 / 2
N N
N N
f N V U f N V U = = .

(b) (2 points)
The probability is
( )( )
( )
3 / 2
3 / 2
/ 2
1
2
N
N
N N N
f N V U
f N V U
= .

(c) (5 points)

















(d) (4 points)
The statement is incorrect. The correct statement should be: It is almost sure
that the system will be found in macrostates around the peak. For
macroscopic systems, the width becomes relatively small, and these
fluctuations are not observable.


6. (a) ( 3 points)
( ) ( )
5/ 3 5/ 3 3/ 5 3/ 5
1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2
5/ 3 5/ 3 3/ 5 3/ 5
1 4 2 3 1 4 2 3
3/ 5 3/ 5
1 4 1 2 3 2
3/ 5
4 2
3 2 1
PV PV P V P V
PV PV P V P V
P V V P V V
V V P
V V P
= =
= =
=
| |
=
|

\

(b) (10 points)
The system absorbs heat when moving from ( )
2 2
, P V to ( )
2 3
, P V . By first
law,
N/2
N
N
L

P(N
L
)

( ) ( )
( )
2 3 2 2 2 3 2
2 3 2
3
2
5
2
h
PV PV Q P V V
Q P V V
=
=

The system releases heat when moving from ( )
1 4
, P V to ( )
1 1
, P V . By first
law,

( ) ( )
( ) ( )
1 1 1 4 1 4 1
1 1 4 1 4 1
3
2
5 5
2 2
c
PV PV Q P V V
Q P V V Q P V V
= +
= =

Hence,

( )
( )
3/ 5 2/ 5
1 4 1
1 4 1 1 2 1
2 3 2 2 1 2
2 3 2
5
2
1 1 1 1 1
5
2
c
h
P V V
Q P V V P P P
e
Q P V V P P P
P V V

| | | |
= = = = =
| |

\ \

.

(c) (4 points)
The maximum temperature occurs at ( )
2 3
, P V :

2 3
max
B
PV
T
Nk
= .
The minimum temperature occurs at ( )
1 1
, P V :

1 1
min
B
PV
T
Nk
= .

(d) (2 points)
The efficiency of the Carnot engine is

min 1 1
carnot
max 2 3
1 1
T PV
e
T PV
= = .

(e) (5 points)
To prove that
2/5
1 1 1
carnot
2 3 2
1 1
PV P
e e
PV P
| |
= > =
|
\
,
one only needs to prove

2/5 2/5
1 1 1 1 1 2
2 3 2 2 3 1
3/5
1 1
3/5
2 3
5/3
3/5
1 1
3/5
2 3
5/3
1 1
5/3
2 3
1
1
1
1
PV P PV P
PV P PV P
P V
P V
P V
P V
PV
PV
| | | |
< <
| |
\ \
<
| |
<
|
\
<

But
5/3 5/3
1 1 2 2
PV PV = . Hence it is equivalent to showing

5/3 5/3
5/3 5/3 2 2 2
2 3 2 3 5/3 5/3
2 3 3
1 1
PV V
V V V V
PV V
< < < <
which is obviously true.