How Does Entropy Relate to the Arrangement Factor in Statistical Mechanics?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the probability distribution and arrangement factor in a system with 5 energy levels. There is confusion about how the arrangement factor relates to entropy and how it affects the probability of particles being in certain energy levels. The conversation also mentions the use of Boltzmann statistics to calculate probabilities in a system with no degeneracy.
  • #1
bobey
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based on this question :

http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz175/bobey/blablabal.jpg"

i tried to answer the question as follow :

My answer for the first part of the question :

http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz175/bobey/black.jpg"

My answer for the second part of the question :

http://i825.photobucket.com/albums/zz175/bobey/blackfffff.jpg"


The assumption is bad. This is because the most probable distribution will effectively count, in this case the {4,1,0,1,0} state is the most probable state, and we will have S=k ln WD*., where WD* is 30.

my problem is really i didn't understand the last part of the question...this is my other attempt for the second part:
Since all the states are equiprobable to occur, the probability of the 1st level is 1/6 x 5 = 5/6 and the probability of the 5th level is 1/6 x 1 = 1/6 while the arrangement factor, W for the 1st level is (6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2)/5! = 6 and the arrangement factor, W for the 5th level is = 6!/1! = 720... is that means the probability for 1st level is 6/726 and the probability for the 5th level is 720/726? i get confuse with the earlier probability and the arrangement factor? what it has to be related with entropy? anyone can clarify it?

and the arrangement factor = probabalility iff all the molecules are at T = 0 which means S = 0... based on the example. probability = 1/6 x 6 = 1 and the arrangement factor, W = 6! / 6! = 1...

is my understanding towards the question is correct or I just misunderstanding it?
ANYONE CAN CLARIFY IT? PLZ3X
 
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  • #2
The arrangement factor just gives you the number of possible arrangements (microstates) given a set of assumptions (in this case, the ones used to derive Boltzmann statistics). I'm not sure I get the last question either. Given how the arrangement factor is described here, this is will lead to a Boltzmann distribution in a system where there's no degeneracy. The probability of a particle being in state i (energy level i) is given by:

[tex] P_i = (n_i/N) = \frac{g_i e^{-E_i/K_b T}}{Z}[/tex]
where:
[tex]Z = \sum_{i=0}^{4} g_i e^{-E_i/K_b T} [/tex]

T is the temperature, Kb is the Boltzmann constant, Ei is the energy of the ith state and gi is the degeneracy of the ith state (always = 1 in your case).

EDIT: W8, I was wronng. I'll get back to this ASAP. I do hope this helps in the meanwhile. I have to be honest and say I don't get what you're doing to compute those probabilities. Could you explain it?
 
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What is entropy?

Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness of a system. It is often described as the level of chaos or the number of possible arrangements within a system.

How is entropy related to arrangement factor (W)?

Entropy and arrangement factor (W) are inversely related. As entropy increases, arrangement factor (W) decreases, and vice versa. This is because as the disorder of a system increases, there are more possible arrangements for the particles within it.

What factors affect the value of arrangement factor (W)?

The value of arrangement factor (W) is affected by the number of particles in a system, the volume of the system, and the temperature. The more particles, the smaller the volume, and the higher the temperature, the higher the value of W will be.

How is arrangement factor (W) calculated?

The arrangement factor (W) is calculated by dividing the total number of possible arrangements within a system by the number of particles in the system raised to the power of the number of particles present. Mathematically, it can be represented as W = N!/nn, where N is the total number of possible arrangements and n is the number of particles.

Why is understanding entropy and arrangement factor (W) important in science?

Entropy and arrangement factor (W) are important concepts in science because they help us understand and predict the behavior of systems. They play a crucial role in fields such as thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and information theory. By understanding these concepts, scientists can make accurate predictions about the behavior of complex systems and develop new technologies and processes.

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