ASSIGNMENT-1

PHY F312
STATISTICAL MECHANICS

1. If the Hamiltonian H is independent of time t explicitly, prove

that it is a constant and equal to the energy of the system. (Hint:
use Langrangian).
2.

Consider a bead sliding on frictionless rigid straight wire lying

along the x axis. The bead has mass m and is subject to a
conservative force, with corresponding potential energy U(x).
Write down the Langrangian and langranges equations of
motion. Find the Hamiltonian and Hamiltonians equations and
compare the two approaches.

3.

(a)Show that if the Hamiltonian H is independent of a generalized

coordinate q o , then the canonical conjugate momentum po is a
constant of motion.
(b) For a particle of mass m moving in 3-dimension in a potential
V(r) , obtain the constants of motion of the problem.

4. Show that the energy eigenvalues of a free particle of mass m

confined to a rectangular parallelepiped of lengths a, b and c are
given by (all carries their usual meaning)
2
2
ny
n z
h 2 n x

2 2
8m a 2
b
c
2

5.

Find the energy eigen values and eigen functions of a quantum

mechanical harmonic oscillator (you may use the ladder
approach and/or the Hermite polynomial approach ).

6. Show that the volume and surface area of an n-dimensional

sphere of raius R are given by
n/2Rn
Vn ( R )

(n / 2)!

2 n / 2 R n1
S n ( R)
(n / 2 1)!

7. Using the result of the following

determine the volume of the relevant region of phase space of an

extremely relativistic gas ( = pc) of 3N particles(massless)
moving in one dimension.
8.For a particle in a box of length L with one-dimensional motion of
energy lying between E and
microstate .

E E , Calculate the number of

9. Three spin-1/2 particles (each of magnetic moment

are kept in a magnetic field B.

) in a lattice

(a) Obtain the microstates corresponding to the macrostate of energy

3B, B, B,3B . What is the total number of microstates?
(b)What is the average value of the magnetic moment ?
10. For a system of N spins kept in a magnetic field B, find the
temperature of the systems where n spins are up? You can express
your result in terms B, N and .
Hints: You may use the formula for entropy S K B ln where

N!
n!( N n)! .