Physics 344: Statistical Properties of Matter
Spring 2011

Professor: Julie Rathbun
Office: Appleton Hall of Numbers 129
ext. 8661
E-mail: Julie_Rathbun@redlands.edu

Office Hours: MWF 2-3 pm, also check my schedule for times that I am availible.

Required class preparation

Homework

Friday 1/14/11 - 1.3, 1.5, 1.12, 1.14, 1.16 (long), 1.19, 1.23
Friday 1/21/11 - 1.28, 1.34, 1.35, 1.36, 1.42, 1.47, 1.60, 1.63, 1.67, 2.1, 2.5ab, 2.9, 2.10 (e-mail spreadsheets, for help)
Friday 1/28/11 at 1:00 pm - 2.13, 2.16, 2.18, B.8, B.11, 2.20, 2.26, 2.27
Monday 1/31/11 at 9:30 am - 2.28, 2.32, 2.33, 2.39, and:
Go back to your spreadsheet for problem 2.10. Compute the entropy for each macrostate. What is the most probable macrostate and what is its entropy? What about least probable? Also compute the entropy over long time scales, assuming that all microstates are accessible. (Neglect the factor of Boltzmann's constant in the definition of entropy.) Plot Entropy as a function of macrostate. How does it complare to the graph of multiplicity? Does it behave as expected?
Tuesday 2/1/11 - 3.1, 3.3, 3.10, 3.14
Thursday 2/3/11 - 3.18, 3.20, 3.24, 3.25 (except f)
Monday 2/7/11 at 9:30 am - 31, 32, 36 (a only), 39
Tuesday 2/8/11 - 4.1, 4.3, 4.10, 4.15
Tuesday 2/15/11 - 5.1, 5.5, 5.11, 5.20, 5.21, 5.22
Friday 2/18/11 - 4.5, 5.28 (also calculate the depth at which aragonite becomes stable), 5.32, 5.35, 5.37(just calculate the slope, don't worry about the plot)
Tuesday 2/22/11 - 5.48, 5.51, 5.52
Thursday 2/24/11 - 6.3, 6.4(hint: use a ruler to literally measure the heights of the grey bars), 6.6, 6.12, 6.15, 6.16
Friday 2/25/11 - A.21 (also demonstrate that for each j the degeneracy of that state is 2j+1), A.22 (instead of doing part c from the book, tell me if your answer to part b is reasonable and why), 6.20 (you don't have to do part e as long as you know how to do it, remember, it was on the last test), 6.23 (send whatever you use to do the sum: spreadsheet, mathematica code, etc)
Friday 3/11/11 - Physics appreciation Week, just submit one assignment for the entire class: B2, B3, 6.31, 6.33, 6.35, 6.36, 6.41 (just derivegive the formula, don't worry about the plot, etc.), 6.44, 6.45, 6.52, T7S.6 (how does this problem relate to the partition thereom?), T7R.1 (Use MBoltz program to evaluate the integral, don't forget to change variables and the limits of integration) and a list of equations requested for the exam (by e-mail)
Monday 3/21/11 at 1:00 pm - Corrections for Exam #2
Monday 3/28/11 at 1:00 pm - 7.3, 7.8, 7.9, 7.10, 7.11, 7.13ac, 7.18 (Try substituting x=(epsilon-mu)/kT and don't make the plots), 7.19, 7.22, 7.23 (a-e), 7.26 (a-b)
Monday 4/4/11 at 1:00 pm - B.17 (don't forget the definition of the Ampu-T function), B.21, 7.28(a-b), 7.29, 7.31(ignore high T limit), 7.39 (make the plot in dimentionless quantities, what do you use instead of lamda?), 7.43, 7.44, 7.51 (don't worry about maximizing the efficiency, just make sure the peak is in the visible and comment on which end of the visible spectrum is better), and explicitly calculate the value of the stefan-boltzman constant
Monday 4/11/11 at 1:00 pm - 7.56, extra on handout, 7.58, 7.63 (find U and C in high and low temperature limits, don't worry about the plot), 7.66, and a 3-5 page summary of what we learned this semester
Friday 4/15/11 at 1:00 pm: From "Planetary Science" 3.5, 3.11,, and problem 5.40 from Schroeder, and

1. An astronomer measured the brightness of Jupiter at 17.6 terahertz to be 9.2e12 Jy (Actually, no one would use Jansky's at this frequency, but I wanted to make you do an extra conversion). What is the brightness temperature? What is the peak frequency for this temperature? What brightness do you expect to measure at this frequency?
2. On a slowly rotating body, which area would be warmer at local midnight, area A with a higher thermal inertia or area B with a lower thermal inertia? Which area would be warmer at noon? Assume both areas are at the same latitude and there is no internal heating.
3. Can the same volcano erupt a basaltic lava one year and andesitc later? Can the same volcano produce both granite and basalt? Explain.

Some of the material on this page is in PDF format. If your computer does not already have it, you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software) to view that content.

Updated 8/7/08