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SECOND PUBLIC EXAMINATION

Honour School of Physics Part A: 3 and 4 Year Courses

Honour School of Physics and Philosophy Part A

A1: THERMAL PHYSICS

TRINITY TERM 2010

Wednesday, 16 June, 9.30 am – 12.30 pm

Answer all of Section A and three questions from Section B.

For Section A start the answer to each question on a fresh page.

For Section B start the answer to each question in a fresh book.

A list of physical constants and conversion factors accompanies this paper.

The numbers in the margin indicate the weight that the Examiners expect to
assign to each part of the question.

Do NOT turn over until told that you may do so.

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 Section A

1. Explain what is meant by a function of state. The First Law of Thermodynamics

for a system may be stated in the form

dU = d̄Q + d̄W ,

where d̄Q and d̄W are small quantities of heat and work respectively. Explain why the
the two different symbols d and d̄ are used here. Explain how the form

dU = T dS − p dV

can be obtained for reversible and irreversible changes. [6]

[The symbols U , T , S, p and V have their usual meanings.]

2. A body of heat capacity C and initial temperature T1 is connected by a heat engine

to the environment, which is maintained at constant temperature T2 < T1 . Show that
the maximum amount of work W that can be performed by the system is given by

W = C (T1 − T2 ) − CT2 ln(T1 /T2 ) . [5]

3. The Clausius-Clapeyron equation for a phase boundary can be written in molar

form as
dp L
= .
dT T ΔV
Using a diagram, explain the meaning of the derivative on the left-hand side of this
equation. State the meanings of the symbols L and ΔV on the right.
Apply this equation to the gas-liquid phase boundary for water, assuming that
the gas is ideal, making a suitable assumption about ΔV , and taking L to be constant.
Given that p = 610 Pa at T = 273 K on this phase boundary, find the value of p at
T = 293 K. [8]
[Assume that L = 45 kJ mol−1 .]

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 4. The number of molecules per unit volume in a monatomic gas with speeds between
v and v + dv and travelling at angles between θ and θ + dθ to the z-axis is
1 2 m
F (v, θ) dv dθ = A n v 2 e−αv dv sin θ dθ , where , α=
2 2kB T
√
n is the number density, m is the mass of each molecule, and A = 4α3/2 / π.
The gas is bounded by the plane z = 0, in which there is a small hole of area a.
Obtain an expression for the rate of loss of kinetic energy through the hole in terms of
a, n, m, kB and T . [6]

5. State Stefan’s Law for the power emitted by a black body at temperature T .
Assuming that the Sun (of radius 6.955 × 108 m) emits as a black body at T =
6000 K, calculate the solar power incident on a plate of area 1 m2 , held perpendicular
to the line to the Sun and at a distance of 1 Astronomical Unit (= 1.496 × 1011 m) from
it.
Assume that the plate is thin, black, and in thermal equilibrium. Find the tem-
perature of the plate, given that it emits radiation from both surfaces. Neglect any
radiation incident on the surface of the plate facing away from the Sun. [6]

6. Define the Fermi energy for a gas of fermions. Sketch the Fermi-Dirac distribution
function f (E) in terms of energy E in the limit T → 0.
Given the density of states for a gas of non-relativistic electrons,
 3/2
V E 1/2 2m
g(E) = ,
2π 2 h̄2
where V is the volume of the gas and m is the electron mass, obtain an expression
for the Fermi energy in terms of the number density of the electrons and fundamental
constants.
Calculate the Fermi energy (in eV) for the electrons in metallic copper, given that
their number density is 8.5 × 1028 m−3 . [5]

7. Find the eigenvalues of the following matrix:

⎛ ⎞
1 0 0
⎜ ⎟
⎝ 0 2 3 ⎠ .
0 3 2

For each eigenvalue find the associated normalised eigenvector. [4]

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 Section B

8. Derive the one-dimensional thermal diffusion equation in the form

∂T ∂2T
C =κ 2 ,
∂t ∂x
explaining the meanings of C and κ (both of which should be assumed constant). [4]
The temperature at the surface of the ground oscillates in the form T (t) = T0 +
T1 cos ωt, where t is time, T0 is the constant temperature deep within the ground and
T1 and ω are also constants. Assuming that the thermal diffusion equation given above
applies within the ground and taking x to be the depth, obtain an expression for the
temperature for x > 0 in the form

T (x, t) = T0 + Re {B(x) eiωt },

and hence find an expression for the function B(x). Write your solution in real form
and give a qualitative description of its x and t dependence. [9]
Writing the heat flux from the atmosphere into the ground in the form J =
J1 cos(ωt + φ), obtain expressions for the constants J1 and φ in terms of ω, C, κ and
T1 .
Assume that the oscillations have a period of one year, and that the maximum
heat flux from the atmosphere into the ground is 8 W m−2 and occurs on 1 July. What
is the maximum temperature perturbation at the surface and approximately when does
it occur? [Ignore the effect of daily oscillations.] [7]
[Assume C = 2 MJ m−3 K−1 and κ = 2 W m−1 K−1 .]

9. Define the partition function and explain briefly why it is important in statistical
mechanics. Write down an expression for the internal energy U in terms of the partition
function Z. [3]
Explain why the partition function of a single diatomic molecule in a gas can
be written as a product of translational, vibrational and rotational partition functions.
Write down the vibrational partition function Zvib , assuming that the molecule acts
as a quantum harmonic oscillator of frequency ν. Hence obtain an expression for the
vibrational heat capacity cvib of one molecule, in terms of the variable x = hν/(kB T ). [10]
Show that, as x → ∞, cvib takes the asymptotic form

cvib ∼ A T n e−B/T ,

and give expressions for the constants A, B and n. What is the limit of cvib as x → 0?
Give a labelled sketch of the temperature variation of cvib . [7]

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 10. One mole of an ideal gas is confined within a volume V at temperature T . Obtain,
with justification, the change of the entropy of the gas in each of the following cases:
(a) The gas expands reversibly and isothermally to a volume 2V .
(b) The gas performs a Joule expansion into a vacuum under conditions of thermal
isolation, ultimately taking up volume 2V . [5]
The equation of state for one mole of a van der Waals gas is
a RT
p+ 2
= .
V V −b
What properties of molecules are modelled by the terms involving a and b?

Obtain an expression for the entropy S of one mole of this gas in terms of T and
V in the form
S = CV ln T + R ln(V − b) + constant,
where CV is the molar heat capacity at constant V . [6]
[Assume that CV is constant.]
Obtain an expression for the internal energy U (T, V ) of one mole of this gas. [5]
Give brief physical explanations of why S depends on b but not on a, and why U
depends on a but not on b. [4]

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 11. The Fourier transform f˜(ω) of a function f (t) may be defined as
1 ∞
f˜(ω) = √ f (t) eiωt dt .
2π −∞

Write down the inverse Fourier transform that gives f (t) in terms of f˜(ω).
Obtain the Fourier transforms of the following functions, where τ and α are pos-
itive constants:

1 for |t| ≤ τ
(a) f1 (t) =
0 otherwise,
(b) f2 (t) = e−α|t| ,
2 1
(c) f3 (t) = .
π 1 + t2
[10]
The convolution V (t) of two functions f (t) and g(t) is defined as
∞
V (t) = f (t − u)g(u) du .
−∞

Prove the convolution theorem,

√
Ṽ (ω) = 2π f˜(ω) g̃(ω) ,

where Ṽ and g̃ are the Fourier transforms of V and g, respectively. [5]

Suppose that V represents the velocity of a particle that moves along the x-axis
and that f = f1 and g = f2 as defined above. Using the convolution theorem, obtain
an expression for the total displacement of the particle between the times t = −∞ and
t = ∞. [5]

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