Problems and solutions on thermodynamics and statistical mechanics (Q2918528)

The present work contains a selection of 367 problems of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics from the graduate school entrance and qualifying examination papers of seven major US universities, as well as from the China-U.S. Physics Examination and Application (CUSPEA) program and from the PhD Qualifying Examination on Experimental High Energy Physics (QEEHEP) program sponsored by C. C. Ting. To all the problems, depending on their complexity, more or less detailed solutions are added. The present exercises have the general aim to deepen the understanding of the physical principles and to enable the reader to apply the theory in praxis: ``In general, examination problems in physics in American universities do not involve too much mathematics; however, they are to some extent characterized by the following three aspects, namely, some problems involving various frontier subjects and overlapping domains of science are selected by professors directly from their own research work and show a ``modern style'', some problems involve a wider field and require a quick mind to analyse, and the methods used for solving the other problems are simple and practical which shows a full `touch of physics'.''NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINE The book, which is Volume 5 of a series of 7 volumes with exercises in physics, is divided into two parts. Part 1 consists of 159 problems on thermodynamics, Part 2 contains 208 problems on statistical physics. Each part has five sections. Part 1, ``Thermodynamics'', contains sections on (1) thermodynamic states and the first law of thermodynamics, (2) the second law of thermodynamics and the entropy, (3) thermodynamic functions and equilibrium conditions, (4) change of phase and phase equilibrium, (5) nonequilibrium thermodynamics. The sections of Part 2, ``Statistical physics'', are (1) probability and statistical entropy, (2) Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics, (3) Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics, (4) ensembles, and (5) kinetic theory of gases.NEWLINENEWLINEThus, in the book, estimations of the surface temperatures of the Sun (problem 1028), the Earth (1029) and Neptune (1030) are discussed, but also rivers as energy sources of buildings (1039) and air conditioners (1043) are considered. Paramagnetic systems in a uniform magnetic field (1077), chemical reactions (1092), models of the Earth's atmosphere (1098--1101), charged soap bubbles (1125, 1126), and phase transitions in water and other materials (1131, 1142) are studied. The problems of statistical physics contain the classical harmonic oscillator (2001) and the quantum one (2032, 2130), reproduction of bacteria (2002), one-dimensional lattices (2003), the elasticity of a rubber band (2011), electrical circuits in thermal equilibrium, chemical reactions, quantum energy levels of a rigid rotator (2036), the statistical partition function (2045, 2123), paramagnetic systems (2055, 2061), photon gases (2068), the 3 K black-body radiation of the universe (2075--2077), graphite crystals (2081), parameters of electrons in metals (2095, 2096, 2001), Fermi gas models of nuclei (2106), and superfluid helium (2107). Further, degenerate electron gases in white dwarfs (2108, 2109), average magnetic momenta of materials (2133, 2134), spin systems (2135, 2142), the Curie-Weiss model (2136), adsorbent surfaces in chemistry (2140), crystalline lattices (2143), the mean free path of cosmic ray protons (2151), the virial theorem for equilibrium configurations (2162), transport properties of simple gases (2175, 2204--2206), a molecular beam apparatus (2186), emission and absorption of radiation by molecules (2191), as well as other problems of atomar and molecular gases (2199--2203) are discussed. The topics are so various as physics is in reality.NEWLINENEWLINEThe book is intended for students of natural sciences willing to test their comprehension in thermodynamics and statistical physics. But the work is also very valuable for teachers of physics to obtain new ideas for problems in physics, which they may introduce in their exercise courses.