The Boltzmann distribution

Statistical Mechanics (Spring, 2013)

Lecture Playlist

  1. Entropy and conservation of information

  2. Temperature

  3. Maximizing entropy

  4. The Boltzmann distribution

  5. Pressure of an ideal gas and fluctuations

  6. Weakly interacting gases, heat, and work

  7. Entropy vs. reversibility

  8. Entropy, reversibility, and magnetism

  9. Tbe Ising model

  10. Liquid-gas phase transition

April 22, 2013

Professor Susskind completes the derivation of the Boltzman distribution of states of a system. This distribution describes a system in equilibrium and with maximum entropy. He derives the formulas for energy, entropy, temperature, and the partition function for this distribution. He then applies these general formulas to the example of an ideal gas.

References