NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROURKELA

MID-TERM EXAMINATION,2014
SESSION : 2014-2015 (Autumn)
M.Sc. 7th Semester
2 Year M.Sc 1st Semester
Subject Code: PH405
No. of pages : 2

Subject Name: Statistical Mechanics

Full Marks : 30

Dept. Code : PH
Duration : 2 Hours

Figures at the right hand margin indicate marks.

All parts of a question should be answered at one place
1. Consider a system of mono-atomic ideal gas with N 0 number of atoms in a volume V 0 . Now
consider a subsystem of smaller volume V within the previously mentioned larger volume
containing N number of atoms .
(a) What is the probability (1 ) of a single atom to occupy the volume V ?

(b) Write down the the probability (N ) of finding N atoms in the volume V ?

(c) What is the probability (

1 ) of finding a single atom outside the volume V ?

(d) What is the probability (

N 0 N ) of finding (N 0 N ) atoms outside the volume V ?

(e) Find the probability PN of N atoms being in the volume V .

1


N0

(f) The average number of particle hN i in the volume V is given by V 0 V. Now using
the approximation limX (1 /X)X = e , in the thermodynamic limit and for
N << N 0 , V << V 0 show that PN follows the Poissons distribution , i.e,
3
hN iN ehN i
PN =
N!
2. Consider a system having very large number of mutually noninteracting distinguishable particles N . Each particle can only be in two non-degenerate energy level 0 and  > 0. Let there
be N1 number of particles in the zero energy level and the total energy of the system be E.
(a) Find the number of microstates (E, N ).

(b) In the thermodynamic limit, for fixed E/N = u, find the entropy per particle s(u).

(c) What is the temperature of this system ?

(d) Express the energy u as a function of temperature i.e obtain u(T ).

(e) What is the probabilistic interpretation of u(T ) ?

(f) Calculate the specific heat per particle c(T ).

(g) Draw a schematic diagram of c vs T and explain how have you obtained it.

3. The same system, as in question number 2, can be treated within the formalism of canonical
ensemble.
(a) Calculate the partition function Z for this system.

(b) Show that Z can be derived using (E, N ) of question number 2.(a).

(c) What is the Helmholtz free energy per particle for this system ?

(d) Calculate the entropy per particle.

(e) Show that the energy per particle u(T ) is same as obtained in the microcanonical ensemble (2.(d)).
1
4. Consider the one-dimensional chain consisting of N molecules shown on the left of Fig. 1 .
Each molecule can be in two configuration , with energy  ,  and the horizontal length
can be a or b (see the right hand figure of Fig. 1). f is the tensile force acting on the chain.
The ambient temperature is T and the molecules are noninteracting.

Figure 1:
(a) What are the modified energies E , E of each molecule under the tensile force ?

(b) Write down the partition function for the molecular chain.

(c) What is the average length of the chain ?

5. Let S be a system in contact with a reservoir R of heat and work (fixed temperature and
pressure). The composite system (R + S) is isolated with total energy E0 and volume V0 .
The ideal wall of the subsystem R is diathermal (energy can flow in and out) while its free
to move without allowing exchange of particles (see Fig. (2)).

Figure 2:
(a) Derive the expression of the probability Pj for the system R to have energy Ej and
volume Vj .
2
(b) What is the partition function for the system R ?