PHYSICS 370



PHYSICS 370, SPRING 2007


(updated May 10, 2007)

  • Reminder: FINAL on Tuesday May 15 . There will be an in-class part and a take-home part, with the take home part due in my mailbox on May 22 before 5 pm. The final will cover all material we have covered in class. The emphasis will be on problems similar to those you have been doing for the homework assignments.

  • course syllabus: (postscript) (pdf)

    solutions

    We have covered from the textbook (Schroeder): chapter 1 (except section 1.7), chapter 2, chapter 3, and chapter 4, sections 1, 2 and section 3, pages 131-132, chapter 5, sections 1, 2 and 3, chapter 6, chapter 7, sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, chapter 8, section 2, and chapter 1, part of section 7.

  • problem set #1; due: February 6
    Schroeder, chapter 1, problems 1.7(a), 1.9, 1.12, 1.16(a,b,c,d (Mount Everest only)), 1.18, 1.22(a,b,c,d)
    For 1.7, assume that the volume of the bulb is 50 cubic cm, and that the top of the mercury moves 5.0 mm/K. For 1.12, assume that the diameter of a (small) molecule is 0.3 nm. The mass of a nitrogen molecule is 0.028 kg/N_A (N_A is Avogadro's number).
    Hint for 1.22(a): start from eq. (1.9).

  • problem set #2; due: February 13
    Schroeder, chapter 1, problems 1.28, 1.31, 1.34, 1.36, 1.41, 1.45, 1.46; chapter 2, problems 2.3, 2.7, 2.8
    For 1.28, assume that the starting temperature is 20 degrees C, and that the cup has a volume of 250 ml. For 1.31, the final pressure is 3 atm. For 1.41, the specific heat of water is 4.186 J/g.K. In 2.8, part (e), describe what (most likely) happens if the system starts out with nearly all energy in solid A, after which A and B are brought into thermal contact.

  • problem set #3; due: February 20
    Schroeder, chapter 1, problems 1.54; chapter 2, problems 2.12, 2.16, 2.18, 2.22, 2.24 and 2.26.
    Problem 2.12 reviews basic properties of the logarithm.

  • problem set #4; due: March 1
    Schroeder, chapter 2, problem 2.37; chapter 3, problems 3.1, 3.10, 3.14, 3.25, 3.33.
    (I did a good part of problem 3.25 in class!)

  • problem set #5; due: March 8
    Schroeder, chapters 2 and 3, problems 3.32, 3.34, 3.37, 2.32, 3.39.
    Problem 3.34: note the similarity with the two-state systems of section 2.1. Problem 3.37(a): using the definition of chemical potential as a partial derivative of U is probably easiest.

  • problem set #6; due: March 22 (!)
    Schroeder, chapter 4, problems 4.3, 4.10, 4.14; chapter 5, problems 5.1, 5.8, 5.11.
    In problem 4.3, take the latent heat of the river water to be 2400 J/g (this is the heat needed to heat 1 g to 100 degrees C, and then evaporate it). In problem 4.10, take the COP=5.9. In problem 5.11, explain why at 75 degrees you get (a little) less electrical work out of the fuel cell than at 25 degrees.

  • problem set #7; due: April 5
    Schroeder, chapter 5, problems 5.20, 5.21, 5.23, 5.32

  • problem set #8; due: April 19
    Schroeder, chapter 5, problem 5.51; chapter 6, problems 6.2, 6.5, 6.6, 6.17, 6.18, 6.19.

  • problem set #9; due: April 26
    Schroeder, chapter 6, problems 6.38, 6.41, 6.48, 6.51, 6.52, chapter 7, problems 7.6, 7.10.
    For problem 6.38 you will have to use some numerical integration program (like Mathematica). In problem 6.48, take the constant epsilon to be 0.00018 eV for oxygen. Problem 7.10 is a small "prelude" to the phenomenon of Bose-Einstein condensation.

  • problem set #10; due: May 3
    Schroeder, chapter 7, problems 7.12, 7.22, 7.23 parts a) to e), 7.26 parts a) and b), 7.28 all parts except c).
    In problem 7.28, once you've done part d), you can answer part c) - but you do not have to write it up.

  • problem set #11; due: May 10
    Schroeder, chapter 7, problems 7.44 parts a) and c), 7.52 parts a) and b), 7.68, 7.72, 7.75 parts a) and b).