Thermal and Statistical Physics

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Lecture 4: Partition Function and Thermodynamic Identity

Boltzmann Factor, Partition Function and how to calculate everything else from it.
Live near lakes because they have a high heat capacity. Energy and Heat Capacity of a two state system, Definition of a reversible process, Definition of pressure, The Thermodynamic Identity, Thermodynamically Conjugate variables.
Digressions: Is toasting bread a reversible process? Do microwaves get water hotter than other heating methods?

Lecture 4 Audio