Course content

Thermodynamics:

The energy concept. Temperature. First and Second law of thermodynamics. Work, heat and internal energy. Equations of state, reversible and irreversible processes, entropy, thermodynamic potentials. Heat engines and refrigerators. Phase transitions. Ideal mixtures.

Kinetic theory of gases:

Maxwell distribution of speed, mean free path, heat conduction, diffusion. Transport processes.

Statistical mechanics:

Microstates and statistical description. The equipartition theorem. Planck's radiation law. The Boltzmann distribution.

The syllabus will be illuminated with examples from biology, industry, climate and the environment.

Learning outcome

The course aims through a theoretical and experimental approach to give a fundamental understanding of how systems in thermal equilibrium can be described by thermodynamics, kinetical gas theory and basic statistical mechanics.

Knowledge.

The candidate should know:

• a wide spectrum of methods from thermal and statistical physics with applications across many disciplines and scientific fields
• fundamental thermal problems with their known solutions
• methods for approaching thermal problems without a know solution

Skills.

The candidate should be able to:

• Quantitatively describe systems in thermal equilibrium by methods from thermodynamics and statistical physics
• Design simple heat engines and refrigerators
• Perform and analyze basic experiments and measurements within thermal physics

General competence.

The candidate should be able to:

• account for the role of thermal physics in a societal context, including climate and environmental challenges
• account for the connection between thermal physics and other fundamental branches of physics
• analyze problems in thermal physics using mathematical and numerical methods, including ICT.

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and compulsory laboratory exercises and problem solving. Expected workload in the course is 225 hours.

Compulsory assignments

• Laboratory exercises
• Calculation exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

Physics knowledge corresponding to FY1001 Mechanical Physics and FY1003 Electricity and Magnetism. Mathematics corresponding to TMA4100, TMA4105, and TMA4115.

Course materials

P. C. Hemmer, Termisk fysikk, Tapir Akademisk Forlag, 2. utgave 2002. D. V. Schroeder, An Introduction to Thermal Physics, Oxford University Press, 2021.

Credit reductions