This schedule lists all homework, quizzes, and exams. Unless otherwise stated, reading and homework listed below all come from Schroeder (2000); readings are described by sections and homework by problems. All reading and homework is also due the class session after it is assigned, unless otherwise stated. The abbreviation "HW" means "Homework". See the list of External Links for additional resources.
If there's something in the text you think is wrong, check first on this errata list to see if it's already been found.
Class |
Date |
Class Description/Work Assigned |
| 1 | Tue. Jan 12 |
Topics: Introduction: Go through syllabus, Socratic nature of lecture (you must read the text and do the homework before class), student information sheet, homework format sheet, memorize list. Reading assigned: Preface, 1.1–1.2. Homework assigned: HW 1: 1.3, 1.9, 1.16. |
| 2 | Thu. Jan 14 |
Topics: No quiz today. States and systems, the ideal gas. Reading assigned: 1.2–1.4. Homework assigned:
|
| — | Mon. Jan 18 |
No class—Martin Luther King Day. |
| 3 | Tue. Jan 19 |
Topics: Equipartition of energy, heat and work and an introduction to the First Law. Reading assigned: 1.5. Homework assigned: HW 4: 1.33, 1.36. |
| 4 | Thu. Jan 21 |
Topics: Quiz 1. Compression work. Reading assigned: 1.6. Homework assigned:
|
| 5 | Tue. Jan 26 |
Topics: Heat capacities. Reading assigned: 1.7. Homework assigned: HW 7: 1.45, 1.47. |
| 6 | Thu. Jan 28 |
Topics: Quiz 2. Rates of processes. Reading assigned: 2.1. Homework assigned:
|
| 7 | Tue. Feb 2 |
Topics: Two-state systems. Reading assigned: 2.2. Homework assigned: HW 10: 2.5. |
| 8 | Thu. Feb 4 |
Topics: Quiz 3. Einstein solids. Reading assigned: 2.3, 2.4. Homework assigned:
|
| 9 | Tue. Feb 9 |
Topics: Interacting and large systems. Reading assigned: 2.5. Homework assigned: HW 13: 2.26, 2.27. |
| 10 | Thu. Feb 11 |
Topics: Quiz 4. The ideal gas, statistical mechanics, and the Second Law. Reading assigned: 2.6, 3.1. Homework assigned:
|
| 11 | Tue. Feb 16 |
Topics: Entropy from a statistical mechanics perspective, temperature. Reading assigned: 3.2. Homework assigned: HW 16: 3.10, 3.16. |
| 12 | Thu. Feb 18 |
Topics: Quiz 5. Entropy and heat. Reading assigned: 3.3, 3.4. Homework assigned:
|
| 13 | Tue. Feb 23 |
Topics: Paramagnetism, mechanical equilibrium and pressure. Reading assigned: 3.5–3.6. Homework assigned: HW 19: 3.37. |
| 14 | Thu. Feb 25 |
Topics: Quiz 6. Diffusive equilibrium and chemical potential. Reading assigned: 4.1, 4.2. Homework assigned:
|
| 15 | Tue. Mar 2 |
Topics: Heat engines, refrigerators. Reading assigned: 4.3. Homework assigned: HW 22: 4.22, 4.23. |
| 16 | Thu. Mar 4 |
Topics: No in-class quiz. An introduction to real heat engines. Reading assigned:
"Homework" assigned:
|
Sat., Mar 6–Sun., Mar 14: No class—Spring Break | ||
| 17 | Tue. Mar 16 |
Topics: An introduction to real refrigerators. Real heat engines, Part I. Reading assigned: Spakovszky, "Behavior of Two-Phase Systems." Homework assigned: None. |
| 18 | Thu. Mar 18 |
Topics: Real heat engines, Part II. Reading assigned: Spakovszky, "Behavior of Two-Phase Systems." "Homework" assigned: Take-Home Quiz 8: Economic analysis of a heat pump (due Tue. Apr 6). |
| 19 | Tue. Mar 23 |
Topics: Real heat engines, Part III. Reading assigned: 5.1. Homework assigned: HW 24: 5.2. |
| 20 | Thu. Mar 25 |
Topics: Real heat engines, Part IV. Free energy as available work. Collect Take-Home Quiz 7 and discuss. Reading assigned: 5.1–5.2. Homework assigned: HW 25: 5.9, 5.10. |
| 21 | Tue. Mar 30 |
Topics: Free energy as available work (cont.) and as a force toward equilibrium. Reading assigned: 5.3. Homework assigned: HW 26: 5.28. |
| 22 | Thu. Apr 1 |
Topics: Phase transformations of pure substances. Reminder you should have started your Projects by now. Reading assigned: 5.3 (re-read), 6.1. Homework assigned:
|
| 23 | Tue. Apr 6 |
Topics: Phase transformations of pure substances (cont.), the Boltzmann factor. Collect Take-Home Quiz 8 and discuss. Reading assigned: 6.2. Homework assigned: HW 29: 6.15, 6.21. Use Mathematica for 6.21, and turn in both source code and plot(s) showing your results. |
| 24 | Thu. Apr 8 |
Topics: Quiz 9. Average values of Boltzmann statistics. Reading assigned: 6.3, Appendix B.1, 6.4. Homework assigned:
|
| 25 | Tue. Apr 13 |
Topics: The equipartition theorem, the Maxwell speed distribution. Reading assigned: 6.5–6.6. Homework assigned: HW 32: 6.43, 6.44. |
| 26 | Thu. Apr 15 |
Topics: Quiz 10. More on partition functions. Reading assigned: 6.7, 7.1. Homework assigned:
|
| 27 | Tue. Apr 20 |
Topics: The ideal gas and its partition function, the Gibbs factor. Reading assigned: 7.2. Homework assigned: HW 35: 7.9, 7.11. |
| 28 | Thu. Apr 22 |
Topics: Quiz 11. Bosons and femions. Reading assigned: 7.4. Homework assigned: HW 36: 7.37 (you'll have to use numerical methods to solve this problem), 7.38, 7.39. Please turn in your Mathematica source code and output. |
| 29 | Tue. Apr 27 |
Topics: Blackbody radiation. Reading assigned: None. Homework assigned: HW 37: Do two out of the following: 7.44, 7.52, 7.56. |
| 30 | Thu. Apr 29 |
Topics: Project presentations. Review and conclusions. Reading assigned: Section 7.6 on Bose-Einstein condensation for your own personal edification. Although it's optional, since we won't talk about it, this is really cool stuff, and every physics graduate should at least have heard of what Bose-Einstein condensation is. Homework assigned: None. |
| 31 | Thu. May 6 |
10:30 am–12:30 pm: Final Examination. |
Updated: Tuesday, 03-Nov-2009 16:15:02 PST.
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