Sample interview questions: Discuss the principles of statistical thermodynamics and its relation to classical thermodynamics.
Sample answer:
Principles of Statistical Thermodynamics
Statistical thermodynamics provides a microscopic interpretation of macroscopic thermodynamic quantities by describing the behavior of large systems in terms of the statistical distribution of their constituent particles. Key principles include:
- Equipartition of Energy: Each degree of freedom of a system contributes equally to its total energy.
- Boltzmann Distribution: The probability of finding a system in a particular microstate is proportional to the Boltzmann factor, e^(-E/kT), where E is the energy of the microstate, k is Boltzmann’s constant, and T is the temperature.
- Entropy: Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system, defined as S = k ln(W), where W is the number of possible microstates.
Relation to Classical Thermodynamics
While statistical thermodynamics offers a deeper understanding of thermodynamic principles, it ultimately agrees with the laws of classical thermodynamics:
- Zeroth Law: Systems in thermal equilibrium have the same temperature.
- First Law: The change in a system’s internal energy equals the heat added minus the work done.
- Second Law: Entropy of an isolated system always increases or remains constant.
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