Einstein Solid and Sterling's Approximation

In summary, the multiplicity of an Einstein solid can be expressed as (q+N)ln(q+N)-qlnq-NlnN. However, this expression still needs to be simplified further to obtain the desired result.
  • #1
Ai52487963
115
0

Homework Statement


Show that the multiplicity of an Einstein solid with large N and q is

[tex]\frac{\left(\frac{q+N}{q}\right)^q\left(\frac{q+N}{N}\right)^N}{\sqrt{2\pi q\left(q+N\right)/N}}[/tex]


Homework Equations


[tex]N! \approx N^N e^{-N} \sqrt{2 \pi N}[/tex]



The Attempt at a Solution


Well, I've done thus so far:

[tex]
\Omega(N,q) = \frac{(q+N-1)!}{q!(N-1)!} \approx \frac{(q+N)!}{q!N!}

ln(\Omega) = ln(q+N)! - lnq! - lnN
\par
\approx (q+N)ln(q+N) - (q+N) - qlnq+q - NlnN + N = (q+N)ln(q+N) - qlnq - NlnN

[/tex]

I feel like I'm close, but I've no idea where to go from here.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
How silly of me! I just expanded out some terms and now I have the numerator, but where on Earth does the denominator come from? Should I have another -ln() term somewhere, so I can use Sterling?
 
  • #3
Ok, so after expanding:
ln(q+N)!-lnq!-lnN!
and canceling a coupel N's and q's I get:

(q+N)ln(q+N)-qlnq-NlnN

So I applied a few ln rules to get:

[tex]ln(q+N)^{q+N)}[/tex]-[tex]lnq^{q}[/tex]-[tex]Nln^{N}[/tex]

Then simplifying:

ln([tex](q+N)^{(q+N)}/q^{q}[/tex]-[tex]lnN^{N}[/tex]

But when I try to simplify again I come up with:

ln([tex](q+N)^{(q+N)}N^{N}/q^{q}[/tex] - [tex]lnN^{N}[/tex]

Which I don't believe is right, but even if it was, how do I go about recovering the 2pi n the denominator?
 

1. What is an Einstein solid?

An Einstein solid is a theoretical model used to explain the behavior of a solid at low temperatures. It consists of a collection of N identical particles (atoms or molecules) that are confined to a lattice structure and can only vibrate.

2. What is the significance of the Einstein solid in physics?

The Einstein solid is significant because it was one of the first attempts at understanding the behavior of matter at the atomic level. It also helped pave the way for future developments in quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics.

3. What is Sterling's approximation?

Sterling's approximation is a mathematical approximation used to estimate the number of microstates in a system without having to explicitly calculate them. It is based on the idea that for large values of N, the factorial of N can be approximated by the square root of 2πN multiplied by N to the power of N.

4. How is Sterling's approximation used in the context of the Einstein solid?

In the context of the Einstein solid, Sterling's approximation is used to calculate the entropy of the system. This is done by approximating the number of microstates of the solid at a given temperature, which is then used to calculate the entropy using the Boltzmann formula.

5. What are the limitations of the Einstein solid model and Sterling's approximation?

One limitation of the Einstein solid model is that it assumes that all particles in the solid are identical and do not interact with each other. In reality, particles in a solid interact with each other through various forces, which can affect their behavior. Sterling's approximation is also only accurate for large values of N and may not accurately represent the behavior of a small number of particles.

Similar threads

Replies
1
Views
772
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
873
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
994
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
993
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
19
Views
787
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Advanced Physics Homework Help
Replies
24
Views
765
Back
Top