2661

SECOND PUBLIC EXAMINATION

Honour School of Physics Part A: 3 and 4 Year Courses

Honour School of Physics and Philosophy Part A

A1: THERMAL PHYSICS

TRINITY TERM 2013

Wednesday, 12 June, 9.30 am – 12.30 pm

Answer all of Section A and three questions from Section B.

For Section A start the answer to each question on a fresh page.

For Section B start the answer to each question in a fresh book.

A list of physical constants and conversion factors accompanies this paper.

The numbers in the margin indicate the weight that the Examiners expect to
assign to each part of the question.

Do NOT turn over until told that you may do so.

1
 Section A

1. The Clausius inequality states:

H d̄Q
For any closed cycle T ≤ 0, where the equality necessarily holds for reversible cycles.

Define the symbols d̄Q and T . Write down the thermodynamic definition of entropy
and, starting from the Clausius inequality or otherwise, show that it is a function of
state. [5]

◦
2. (a) 1 kg of silver at 0 C is brought into contact with a large heat reservoir at
◦ ◦
100 C. When the silver has reached 100 C what is the change in the entropy of (i) the
silver, (ii) the reservoir, and (iii) the universe?
◦ ◦
(b) If, instead, the silver is heated from 0 C to 100 C by operating a reversible
heat engine between the silver and the reservoir, what is now the change in the entropy
of (i) the silver, (ii) the reservoir, and (iii) the universe? [6]
[The specific heat of silver is 2.3 × 102 J kg−1 K−1 .]

3. The probability that a molecule in a dilute gas undergoes a collision in a small

distance dx is k dx with k constant. Show that the probability that a molecule has not
collided after travelling a distance x is

p(x) = e−kx

and relate k to the mean free path of the gas. State a typical value of the mean free
path for a molecule in air at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. [7]

4. Use kinetic theory to obtain an expression for the pressure (force per unit length
exerted on a line) of an isotropic, two-dimensional gas in terms of an appropriate average
over the velocity distribution. [6]

5. A two-level system has energy levels 0 and ∆. Draw a carefully labelled sketch of
(i) the mean energy and (ii) the specific heat as a function of temperature. [6]

6. If all the solar power falling on earth was absorbed by the oceans, estimate how
long it would take for them to evaporate, stating the assumptions you make.
[The specific heat of water is 4.2 × 103 J kg−1 K−1 and the latent heat of water is
2.3 × 106 J kg−1 . The solar constant, defined as the solar power per unit area, at a
distance from the sun equal to the radius of the earth’s orbit, is 1370 Wm−2 .] [5]

7. A point P is chosen at random from inside the sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1. r is the

distance of P from the origin. Find the mean and variance of r. [5]

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 Section B

8. State the theorem of equipartition of energy, explaining what is meant by the

classical limit. [3]
Show that the single particle partition function describing the translational motion
of a perfect, classical gas of molecules of mass m occupying a volume V at temperature
T is ( )
mkB T 3/2
Z1 = V .
2πh̄2
Derive an expression for the mean kinetic energy of a gas molecule and relate your
answer to the equipartition theorem. [7]
A quantum harmonic oscillator has energy levels (n+ 21 )h̄ω, n = 0, 1, 2 . . .. Derive
a formula for the mean energy of the oscillator, E, in terms of x = h̄ωkB T . State the
condition on x for which the equipartition theorem holds, and find E in this limit. [6]
Explain why the high temperature specific heat of an insulating solid is close to
3R per mole. Suggest physical effects that might lead to deviations from this value as
the temperature is increased. [4]

9. One mole of a van der Waals gas has an equation of state

a
(P + )(V − b) = RT ,
V2
where P , V , and T are the pressure, volume and temperature of the gas.
Explain why the van der Waals equation of state is often a better model of a real
gas than the perfect gas equation of state, including the motivation for introducing the
parameters a and b. [4]
Plot the isotherms of the van der Waals gas on a P –V diagram, labelling the
critical point, and the two-phase coexistence region. Explain what would happen to a
fluid in a closed container prepared at a pressure and volume lying within the coexistence
curve. [5]
For the van der Waals gas:
(a) find expressions for the pressure, volume and temperature at the critical point
in terms of the parameters a and b. [5]

(b) by considering the entropy as a function of T and V , or otherwise, show that

the difference between the specific heats at constant pressure and constant volume is
{ }−1
2a(V − b)2
CP − CV = R 1 − .
V 3 RT
[6]

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 10. Starting from the grand partition function, show that the mean occupation num-
ber of a non-interacting Bose gas is
1
n̄i =
eβ(ϵi −µ) −1
and that, as long as the temperature is not too low, the number density of the bosons
can be written ∫
N (2m)3/2 ∞ ϵ1/2 dϵ
= . (1)
V 4π 2 h̄3 0 eβ(ϵ−µ) − 1
[6]
State how the value of the chemical potential changes as the gas is cooled at
constant density. Hence, or otherwise, argue that equation (1) can no longer hold below
a temperature Tc given by
( )
N mkB Tc 3/2
=C
V h̄2
where C is a numerical factor that you need not evaluate. [6]
For T < Tc , derive an expression for the number density of particles in the ground
state of the Bose gas. [5]
Explain briefly, with examples, what is meant by a Bose condensate. [3]

11. The Laplace transform of a function f (x) is defined as

∫ ∞
f¯(s) = f (x)e−sx dx.
0

Find the Laplace transform of

df
(i) dx
(ii) xf (x)
in terms of f¯(s) and its derivative. [6]
Show that the Laplace transform of a function g(x) which is equal to unity between
x = 0 and x = a, and zero otherwise is
1
ḡ(s) = (1 − e−sa )
s
and find the Laplace transform of xg(x). [4]
The function h(x) is defined by
∫ x
h(x) = g(y)g(x − y) dy.
0

Show that h(x) = x for 0 < x < a and find expressions for h(x) for a < x < 2a and
x > 2a. (You may find it helpful to plot g(y)g(x−y) as a function of y.) Hence calculate
h̄(s) directly from the definition of the Laplace transform, and show that it is equal to
ḡ(s)2 . [10]

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