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Lecture #1
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Lecture #1
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Lecture #1
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Density (~ 1 g/cm3)
In Liquid-vapor
equilibrium
Printed 11:50, 9/28/2016
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Counting States
Cup of tea is a macrostate made up of indistinguishable microstates: 1025
molecules, each with certain momentum and position.
Each molecule is a microstate: we can imagine measuring everything
and/or knowing its quantum mechanical state
N = 1025 microstates make up this macrostate. Imagine moving the
molecules around, trading energies and positions among the
microstates: and there will be on the order of N! indistinguishable
combinations of microstates to give the same macrostate.
N! is a humongous number. There have only been 13.8 billion years =
440 million-billion seconds = 4 102+6+9+12 = 4 1029 psec since the
beginning of the universe you could never count the microstates.
Statistical Mechanics is all about figuring out how to predict the
properties of a macrostate given that we can only calculate whats
really going on in a microstate, and need to extrapolate to 1025
microstates.
Thermodynamics doesnt care about the microstate properties; stat mech
will allow us to handle small systems where fluctuations are
significant, while thermo doesnt.
We will go back and forth between these two views this quarter, but
mostly on the thermo side. Physics 328 goes into much more detail on
the stat mech side.
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Logistics
Course Grading and Advice
OLOs and Text
Read the book BEFORE class. The book is quite terse, and well
expand on the text in lecture. Many key points are in HW problems
rather than in the main text, so read those as well. Ill be using Tom
Moores text as well as Schroeder when preparing lectures.
Fill out OLO daily before class to show you have done the reading.
Asks you to make an order of magnitude estimate (well do it in class,
as well), summarize the main point of the section and what I should
spend time on or skip in class. Due at 7 am; open until 8 am. No late
OLOs count.
Homework
Homework will be due every week in class on Fridays (starting next
week; none week of Thanksgiving). Can turn it in by 1 pm to my
mailbox, so dont skip class to finish it up. No late HW accepted.
Assignment will be posted on Canvas, and you are responsible for
checking there. Let me know if I forgot to publish the page. Tentative
problems posted for first two weeks. My goal is to post every Friday
afternoon for the next week.
Clickers
Replacement credit awarded (counts in the OLO category). Using Poll
Everywhere. This is new to me, so well learn it together.
Exams
Midterms are Monday, Oct 24 and Wednesday November 23. Note
MT2 is the day before Thanksgiving, so make travel plans accordingly.
Final is Wednesday, December 14 at 8:30 am (sunrise that day is .
Grade is calculated from:
HW + MT1 + MT2 + Final Min(MT1,MT2,Final).
Thus HW counts, and I will replace your lowest midterm with your final if
that helps your grade.
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You can replace your lowest HW with OLOs each OLO is worth 1/20 of
a HW (there are 27 of them), so if you turn in 2 OLO/week, you can
skip one homework.
I will likely add Poll Everywhere to the OLO score.
If you cant make a MT, then that becomes the MT you drop.
Advice
There is less support in 224 than there was in 12x no labs, no
tutorials. You are expected to have learned how to learn during 12x,
and to be ready to be more independent.
See the website for a note to transfer students there is no historical
difference in how you perform in this class, but be prepared for lower
grades than in your previous institution.
I expect you to work together in this class, but I require everyone to
write up their own solutions to the HW.
Take a moment to introduce yourself to those sitting near you. You
will want one or more study partners for this class.
Accommodations
If you have reason to request accommodation (learning disability, travel
with sports team, etc.) please do so and I will be happy to
accommodate. It is normal to be different and accommodations are
there to level the playing field and help your transcript reflect your
true abilities. Talk to DRS and they can help you.
Title IX and Safe Campus
See syllabus for links. If you see something unsettling, report it.
Illness
PLEASE KEEP YOUR GERMS HOME by avoiding class when you are
coughing or feverish.
Please call or email with questions dont come to my office to tell me
you are too sick to go to class.
I will post my (admittedly cryptic) lecture notes. Note that they are
theoretically what will be covered in class, and not what actually
happens in response to questions, etc.
You can get a flu shot at Hall Health.
Printed 11:50, 9/28/2016
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