Statistical Mechanics

 

By LAIDLER, MEISER AND SANCTUARY

Chapter 1 comes with all the modules. The Statistical Mechanics chapter, 15,  was completely re-written by Professor Bryan Sanctuary. You can see the detailed Table of Contents by clicking the "Contents" link to the right. Only available in dowload format, this chapter covers equilibrium statistical mechanics from the most fundamental starting point and leads the student through the beauty of how statistical  methods describe the collective dynamics of microscopic particles which leads to those few macroscopic thermodynamics functions they have learned about.

 

The approach taken in presenting the basic ideas is to start with the microcanonical ensemble.  Traditionally stat. mech. is introduced using the canoncial ensemble.  An advantage, for the author at least, is that a study of the microcanoncial ensemble gives a clear and satisfying way of understanding entropy.  This approach helps students to get a deeper view of entropy.  In the end, however, the Lagendre Transformation relates them all, so with canonical or microcanonical, we get to the same result.

 

Extensive and detailed examples are worked out in order to make sense out of difficult concepts, like the statistical treatment of degeneracy.  The work, however, is not all theory and gives the standard relationships between thermodynamic quantities and partition functions.  The translational, rotational, etc. modes are evaluated for special cases, and application to equilibrium constants and Transition State Theory are developed.  Finally there is an appendix on Combinatorials and many new problems.

Download the Statistical Mechanics Solutions Manual for free. It contains the solutions to all the problems as worked out by students themselves.  This peer learning model is a valuable asset for students. Check for up-dates.