PHYSICS 426 & 526 |
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PHYSICS 426 & 526 - Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics Instructor Course Description - Concepts of temperature, work, and heat; first and second laws of thermodynamics and applications; thermodynamic potentials; heat engines, Carnot cycle, and ideal gases; entropy and its statistical interpretation; kinetic theory of gases; classical and quantum statistics; introduction to statistical mechanical ensembles. Prerequisites Recommended - Physics 203/213, Physics 311, Mathematics 254 Textbook - Thermal Physics by Daniel Schroeder “A theory is the more impressive the greater the simplicity of its premises, the more different kinds of things it relates, and the more extended its area of applicability. Therefore the deep impression that classical thermodynamics made upon me. It is the only physical theory of universal content which I am convinced will never be overthrown, within the framework of applicability of its basic concepts.”¬– A. Einstein
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