Kinetic theory and statistical mechanics

This lesson is part of the full course.

In it you will learn to:

• Derive pressure from molecular collisions and compute rms, mean and most probable speeds, mean free paths and effusion rates
• Apply equipartition, and explain when degrees of freedom freeze out
• Use Boltzmann factors, S = k ln Ω and the three ensembles
• Build a partition function and extract energy, free energy, entropy and heat capacity for two-level systems, oscillators and paramagnets
• Distinguish Fermi–Dirac, Bose–Einstein and Maxwell–Boltzmann statistics and their classical limit