PHY 531 - Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics Course Syllabus, Fall 2015

Class meetings 2:00-3:20pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Physics Building 105

Instructor Prof. Joseph D. PaulsenOffice: Physics Building 213 (later in term: Rm. 223) Web: https://paulsengroup.wordpress.com/teaching/ e-mail: jdpaulse@syr.edu Office hours: Mondays 1:30-2:30, Tuesdays 3:30-4:30, or feel free to make an appointment with me

Resources Required text: An Introduction to Thermal Physics, Schroeder (ISBN 0201380277)

You should have your own copy of the required text. I will assign readings and homework problems from this book (and I will also adapt homework problems from it).

Good references: Fundamentals of Statistical & Thermal Physics, Reif (ISBN 1577666127) Thermal Physics, Kittel & Kroemer (ISBN 0716710889)

I may adapt some lecture material from these two books. You may find them useful for your own study, but they are not required for the course.

Overview and course goals Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics (together called ‘thermal physics’) are powerful and widely applicable physical theories. They tell us about the behavior of everyday substances like the air we breathe, but also allow us to understand the exotic, for instance black holes and the early universe. The approach to this subject may be very different from courses you have had in the past. We will be treating collections of many (1023) particles, so some of the mathematical tools may be new to you (and very cool!). We will also be discussing terms that are commonly used in everyday settings, such as temperature and heat, yet making a precise definition of these terms will take some effort and abstract thinking. To help with the sometimes abstract feel of the material, I will use classroom demos to help connect things back to the familiar.

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We will work together to help you master the material. If you are successful, you will be able to do the following by the end of the term: - Define temperature precisely - Explain the importance of entropy - Understand how the outcome of flipping a coin many times relates to the behavior of gas

molecules in a box - Calculate the maximum efficiency of different heat engines - Understand the basic principles governing your refrigerator (unfortunately, not the same as

being able to repair it) - Discuss the “arrow of time” - Derive all kinds of things about the ideal gas (we will return to this topic throughout the term) - Explain why white dwarf stars do not collapse

Assessment of your work The grading scheme is intended to encourage you to learn the material, and to evaluate your understanding of the concepts and methods of the course. Your letter grade will be based on the points you earn for the components of the coursework (see below), but I will decide the correspondence between numerical and letter grades. Note that I will not be ‘grading on a curve’; everyone can earn an ‘A’ if you all have a command of the material. The weighting will be as follows: Homework [40%]

- Late homework will not be accepted. (This policy helps me grade your assignments fairly and get them back to you quickly.)

- To help make the above policy a little softer, I will drop your lowest two homework scores when calculating your course grade.

- Answers without words will receive no credit. Please explain your logic by inserting words throughout the solution, and state the final result.

Quizzes [15%] - There will be four quizzes. I will average your top three scores, so your best three

quizzes are worth 5% weight each. Midterm [20%] and final exam [25%]

- Exams will include simple warm-up exercise and more involved problems to work out. As is the case for homework, you must explain your logic and final result with words. Any part of the course content may appear on the exams (lectures, classroom demonstrations, assigned textbook reading, homework problems).

- The midterm is designed to be completed in 1 hour (in class).

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Collaboration, sources, and honesty Please share ideas with each other, in and out of class, and work with each other to learn the material. However, keep in mind the following: - While collaboration is encouraged, copying homework solutions from peers or online is not

allowed. - You must acknowledge any sources in your submitted work. To elaborate on the second item: sources may include web pages, books, articles, and people. Here are some examples of situations and ways to acknowledge your sources (taken from the 2014 syllabus for this course, by Alan Middleton): - “A graduate student, Jes Katt, suggested that I try adding zero to both sides of the following

equation. My classmate Aang then suggested using the ideal gas law to replace zero with pV-nkT.”

- “The ideas for solving this problem came out of an extended discussion with Ilya and Jocelyn.”

- “The web page http://klnw.entropy.gov/inexact.htm has a useful discussion of entropy. I used the information on this page to help apply this next equation.”

Citing your sources is not only honest, but also makes it easier for others to access material that you found instructive. Please also know that the University has its own policy on academic integrity, summarized here:

Syracuse University’s Academic Integrity Policy Syracuse University’s Academic Integrity Policy holds students accountable for the integrity of the work they submit. Students should be familiar with the policy and know that it is their responsibility to learn about course-specific expectations, as well as about university policy. The university policy governs appropriate citation and use of sources, the integrity of work submitted in exams and assignments, and the veracity of signatures on attendance sheets and other verification of participation in class activities. The policy also prohibits students from submitting the same written work in more than one class without receiving written authorization in advance from both instructors. The presumptive penalty for a first offense by an undergraduate student is course failure, accompanied by a transcript notation indicating that the failure resulted from a violation of Academic Integrity Policy. The standard sanction for a first offense by a graduate student is suspension or expulsion. For more information and the complete policy, see:

http://academicintegrity.syr.edu/academic- integrity-policy/

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Disability-Related Accommodations If you believe that you need accommodations for a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services(ODS), http://disabilityservices.syr.edu, located in Room 309 of 804 University Avenue, or call (315) 443-4498, TDD: (315) 443-1371 for an appointment to discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations. ODS is responsible for coordinating disability-related accommodations and will issue students with documented Disabilities Accommodation Authorization Letters, as appropriate. Since accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact ODS as soon as possible.

Religious Observances Policy SU religious observances policy, found at:

http://supolicies.syr.edu/emp_ben/religious_observance.htm, recognizes the diversity of faiths represented among the campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to observe religious holidays according to their tradition. Under the policy, students are provided an opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to are religious observance provided they notify their instructors before the end of the second week of classes. For fall and spring semesters, an online notification process is available through

MySlice/StudentServices/Enrollment/MyReligiousObservances from the first day of class until the end of the second week of class. Please contact me in advance to an absence to discuss how and when to make up missed material.

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PHY 531 - Thermodynamics & Statistical Mechanics Course Calendar, Fall 2015 Classes meet at 2:00-3:20pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Physics Building 105

Week Topic Assignments

1. Sep 1,3 Course setting,Chap. 1, Energy

First HWK due Thursday, Sep 3

2. Sep 8,10 Second HWK due Tuesday, Sep 8 (all following HWKS due on Tuesdays)

3. Sep 15,17 Chap. 2, Entropy: counting, multiplicity, ideal gas

QUIZ 1 Thursday, Sep 17 - Energy (Chap. 1)(All quizzes at start of class)

4. Sep 22,24

5. Sep 29, Oct 1 Chap. 3, Entropy & interactions

6. Oct 6,8 QUIZ 2 Thursday, Oct 8 - Entropy (Chap. 2)

7. Oct 13,15

8. Oct 20,22 Chap. 4, Engines

9. Oct 27,29 Chap. 5, Thermodynamic potentials

MIDTERM Thursday Oct 29 in class (Chaps. 1-3)

10. Nov 3, 5

11. Nov 10,12 Chap. 6, Partition function QUIZ 3 Thursday, Nov 12 - Engines, potentials (Ch. 4,5)

12. Nov 17,19

Thanksgiving break no class meetings

13. Dec 1,3 Chap. 7, Quantum statistics

14. Dec 8,10 QUIZ 4 Tuesday, Dec 8 - Partition function (Chap. 6)

Final - Dec. 18 Fri., Dec 18, 8:00am-10:00am

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