What is Thermal physics: Definition and 198 Discussions

Thermal physics is the combined study of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and kinetic theory of gases. This umbrella-subject is typically designed for physics students and functions to provide a general introduction to each of three core heat-related subjects. Other authors, however, define thermal physics loosely as a summation of only thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.
Thermal physics can be seen as the study of system with larger number of atom, it unites thermodynamics to statistical mechanics.

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  1. A

    An Introduction to Thermal Physics by Schroder - any thoughts

    Hi! I'll be covering the above book next semester and was wondering if there is anything I should be particularly aware of about thermal physics. -aLearner
  2. H

    Thermal Physics: Ice skating temperatures

    Homework Statement It is said that good ice skating only occurs when the ice below the skates melts. Using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, estimate the coldest temperature at which good ice skating can occur. (Water expands 9% on freezing, Latent heat of ice melting is 334 kJ/Kg, the contact...
  3. H

    Thermal Physics- Can you make good tea at a certain temperature

    Homework Statement According to experts good tea can only be made at temperatures greater than 96 degrees celsius. If this is true, can you brew good tea at elevation 4.5km (Pressure = 6.2*10^{4}Pa) . Given that latent heat of vaporisation for water is 2.4*10^{6} J/kg and water has a molar...
  4. H

    Thermal physics- Can you make good tea at a certain pressure?

    Thermal physics- Can you make good tea at a certain pressure!? Homework Statement According to experts good tea can only be made at temperatures greater than 97 degrees celsius. If this is true, can you brew good tea at elevation 4km (Pressure = 6.2*10^{4}Pa) . Given that latent heat of...
  5. S

    A thermal physics question about steam and coffee, please could you help?

    Homework Statement A coffee machine in a café passes steam at 100°C into 0.18kg of cold coffee (s.h.c. the same as that of water(4200j/kg/K)) to warm it. If the initial temperature of the coffee is 14°C, what mass of steam must be supplied to raise the temperature of the coffee to 85°C Homework...
  6. B

    Thermal Physics Introduction- solving for entropy and temperature change

    Homework Statement A container is divided into two parts by a thermally conducting wall. There are N atoms of a monatomic ideal gas on the left side, 2N on the right. The gas on the left is initially at absolute temperature 200K, the gas on the right at 500K. a. After thermal equilibrium...
  7. T

    Probability Problem 1.15 From Statistical and Thermal Physics, Reif

    Homework Statement A set of telephone lines is to be installed so as to connect town A to town B. The town A has 2000 telephones. If each of the telephone users of A were to be guaranteed instant access to make calls to B, 2000 telephone lines would be needed. This would be rather extravagant...
  8. T

    Probablity Problem 1.3 From Statistical and Thermal Physics, Reif

    Homework Statement A number is chosen at random between 0 and 1. What is the probability that exactly 5 of its first 10 decimal places consists of digits less than 5?Homework Equations Binomial Coefficient = \displaystyle \binom{N}{n1} Where n1 denotes "n1" objects of an indistinguishable type...
  9. S

    Thermal Physics question regarding the thermal expansion coefficients

    Homework Statement I am working on this ahead of my fall class and don't actually want the answer... just pointers to help me understand something.. Thanks guys! :) I am really rusty with my general physics and calculus knowledge =( The original question asks me to prove that, for a...
  10. D

    Thermal Physics: Dry Steam Heat 200g Water from 25°C to 95°C

    Homework Statement Dry steam is used to make a cup of coffee by bubbling it through water. If the steam is at 100°C, what mass of steam must be used to heat 200 g of water from 25°C to 95°C? Homework Equations Not quite sure but I think: Q= mCΔT Qcold=-Qhot The Attempt at a...
  11. G

    Question on Thermal Physics. [it feels impossibly difficult to me]

    Homework Statement This question has got me REALLY confused. I'll be thankful for any help. I don't even know where to start, though I'll mention what my thoughts were. Q. A jeweller wishes to harden a sample of pure gold by mixing it with some silver so that the mixture contains 5.0% silver...
  12. S

    Heat of vaporization ( thermal physics) helppp pleasee ?

    A student suspects that the power rating on an immersion heater is 50 W but he is not sure.He sets up an apparatus as shown. After the liquid has been brought to its boiling point, he finds that 3.5g of vapor escaped each minute through the outlet tube.The boiling point of the liquid is 80...
  13. R

    Thermal physics. Entropy's functional dependecy

    Homework Statement I'm reading Kittel&kroemer's Thermal physics. How can I know Entropy's functional dependency? Author assume entropy's functional dependecy without explanations and derive some equaltities. So I can't follow it. N the number of particles. U Energy of the system. V. volume of...
  14. T

    Fick's Law (Schroeder, Thermal Physics Page 47)

    This isn't a HW problem - I am just having a hard time following one of his examples. On page 47 near Eq. 1.71 he says "As a quick example, consider a drop of food coloring added to a glass of water. Imagine that the dye has already spread uniformly through half of the glass. How long would...
  15. A

    What's Left to Discover in Chemical and Thermal Physics?

    Are there any major questions yet to be solved in these fields? Also where exactly does thermodynamics, heat fit into physics?Thermal Physics?
  16. 1

    Thermal Physics Problem: Determining Volume & Cp/CV for Ammonia Gas

    [b]1. Determine the volume occupied by a 1 mole of an ideal gas at 27° C and 1 atm pressure. Ammonia gas at 27° C and 1 atm is passed at a rate of 41 cm3 s-1 into an apparatus where it flows over an electrically heated wire of resistance 100 . When the heating current is 50 mA the gas leaves...
  17. S

    Thermal Physics and Bottle Shake

    Homework Statement If you were to shake bottle with some water in it for about ten minutes, then roughly, how much would the temperature increase? Homework Equations K=1/2mv^2 U=N*f*1/2*k*T The Attempt at a Solution I think we need to find kinetic energy and assume it all gets...
  18. S

    How Is Heat Flow Calculated in a Constant Temperature Quasistatic Process?

    Okay, so firstly sorry if this is a poor post/wrong topic, I'm kind of new here, and it's been a while! I'm given an example of a quasistatic process, in a frictionless piston. The piston compresses an ideal gas from Vi to Vf, and pressure increases from Pi to Pf, all at a constant temperature...
  19. R

    Steel Building Height Variation in Summer vs Winter: Thermal Physics Analysis

    Thermal Physics (Help me!) Following an engineering design, a building is constructed using a steel framework that is 50m high. How much taller is it on a summer day when the temperature is 38oC than on a -5oC winter day?
  20. K

    Thermal Physics Problem: CO2 Gas Heat Capacity at Different Temperatures

    1. Homework Statement Consider a CO2 molecule, which is linear and has vibrational modes with frequency corresponding to 2565 cm-1 (an asymmetric stretch), 1480 cm-1 (a symmetric stretch) 526 cm-1 (bends). Sketch a curve showing how the constant volume heat capacity of CO2 gas varies with...
  21. K

    CO2 Molecule Vibrational Modes and Heat Capacity | Thermal Physics Problem

    Homework Statement Consider a CO2 molecule, which is linear and has vibrational modes with frequency corresponding to 2565 cm-1 (an asymmetric stretch), 1480 cm-1 (a symmetric stretch) 526 cm-1 (bends). Sketch a curve showing how the constant volume heat capacity of CO2 gas varies with...
  22. A

    Thermal Physics Joke: Is It as Silly as It Seems?

    The other day I sumbled upon the following joke: As we all know, it takes 1 calorie to heat 1 gram of water 1 degree centigrade. Translated into meaningful terms, this means that if you eat a very cold dessert (generally consisting of water in large part), the natural processes which raise...
  23. S

    Thermal Physics - Infinite Plates

    Homework Statement Two infinite plates are kept at different temperatures T_{cold}<T_{hot}, with vacuum between them. A very thin plate, isolated from the environment, is inserted between the two plates. How will the net rate of heat emission from the hot plate to the cold plate change...
  24. K

    Question on Thermal Physics.

    Not homework, just need some help with explaining the effect of the following 2 things on the melting point/freezing point and boiling point of water; 1. Pressure is increased 2. Impurities are added If possible, can the explanations be as explicit as possible?? I have really no idea how to...
  25. S

    Thermal physics; specific heat capacity

    Homework Statement In an experiment to measure the temperature of the flame of a Bunsen burner, a lump of copper of mass 0.12 kg is heated in the flame for several minutes. The copper is then transferred quickly to a beaker, of negligible heat capacity, containing 0.45 kg of water, and the...
  26. P

    Thermal Physics - Efficiency

    Hello, An electrical power station situated in Northern Canada uses water to cool the steam as it leaves the turbine. Suggest why the efficiency of the turbine would be greater in winter than in summer: I first started to think in terms of the efficiency equation I have for heat engines...
  27. P

    Thermal Physics - Gas Problems:

    Hi :smile: 1. A car tyre has a volume of 18 x 10-3 m3 and contains air at an excess pressure of 2.5 x 105 N/m2 above atmospheric pressure (1.0 x 105 N/m2) Calculate the volume which the air inside would occupy at atmospheric pressure assuming that its temperature remains unchanged: My...
  28. P

    Why Did My Calculation of the Heat Transfer Rate in Thermal Physics Go Wrong?

    Hi The mass of liquid nitrogen in an open beaker is found to have decreased by 46.3 g in 10 minutes. If the S.L.H of vaporization of nitrogen at is boiling point is 1.99 x 105 J/Kg, at what rate were the surroundings heating the beaker? This is what I did: Q / 600 = 0.0463 / 600 x 1.99...
  29. P

    Specific Latent Heat and Thermal Physics

    Hi :smile: The mass of liquid nitrogen in an open beaker is found to have decreased by 46.3 g in 10 minutes. If the s.l.h of vaporisation of nitrogen at its boiling point is 1.99 x 105, at what rate were the surroundings heating the beaker? Why is the heat capacity of the beaker irrelevant...
  30. P

    Thermal Physics: Water vs. Wood at 50°C

    Hi, :smile: I am learning about thermal physics and I have a doubt: Say that water and a box of wood, both with the same mass, are at 50 degrees Celsius. This does not mean that they have the same amount of energy (internal energy in this case?) right? That is because in water for...
  31. D

    How Does Doubling Time Affect Specific Heat Capacity in Thermal Physics?

    Homework Statement [/b] E= 13600J, MAss of liquid = 0.1 kg, Temperature change = 25K 2. Homework Equations [/b] Pt/m*delta T The Attempt at a Solution what effect would doubling the time have on the specific heat capacity of the liquid? what i did was to say if the time is doubled...
  32. P

    Thermal Physics, a few questions

    First post, so hello! We've been introduced to thermal physics, with which I've had some complications: 1)An ideal gas expands isothermically, absorbing a certain amount of energy, Q, in the process. It then returns to its original volume adiabatically. During the adiabatic process, the...
  33. Shackleford

    Thermal Physics: Understanding Heat and Energy Transfer

    http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n149/camarolt4z28/Untitled-1.png?t=1297136986 Huh? Its sum is 1.
  34. B

    Thermal Physics and Differentials

    A hypothetical substance has a compressibility k = a /V and a volume expansivity B = 2bT /V , where a and b are constants and V is the molar volume. Show that the equation of state is: V = bT2 - aP + constant To be honest I'm not entirely sure what I'm actually supposed to be doing with...
  35. B

    How Do I Derive the Specific Thermal Diffusion Equation?

    Homework Statement Please see question attached.. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Not sure how to go about the derivation.. I know the general derivation of the thermal diffusion equation where we imagine a surface S bounding a volume V, then integral of J.dS =...
  36. B

    Understanding Thermal Radiation: Entropy, Gibbs Function, and Heat Capacity

    Homework Statement Thermal radiation can be treated thermodynamically as a gas of photons with internal energy U = u(T) V and pressure p = u(T)/3 where u(T) is the energy density. Show that (a) entropy density s is given by s = 4p/T (b) Gibbs function = 0 (c) heat capacity at constant...
  37. B

    Thermal Physics - Internal Energy

    Homework Statement A gas obeys the equation p(V-b) = RT and has cv independent of temperature. Show: (a) the internal energy is a function of temperature only (b) the ratio cp/cv is independent of temperature and pressure (c) the equation of an adiabatic change has the form p(V-b)^gamma...
  38. R

    Changes in Density of Water Vapor Under Constant Volume and Temperature

    Homework Statement water vapor is heated from 403.15k to 463.15k and is kept at a constant volume of 3m^2 its initial pressure is 10^5pa what is the density change? Homework Equations PV = nRT, D = M/V The Attempt at a Solution I don't really know where to go with this i found the...
  39. K

    Thermal physics (Gibbs free energy mostly)

    Homework Statement I know that Gibbs free energy: G=H-TS, and therefor \frac{dG}{dT}=-S , and that dS=C_P\frac{dT}{T} Now, I am to show that more generally, dS=C_P\frac{dT}{T}-\frac{dV}{dT}dP(1) (assuming that the difference between delta and d is mostly the same (symbolwise). The hint I...
  40. N

    Undergrad Textbook for Thermal Physics

    Does anyone know of a good undergrad textbook for Thermal Physics. We are using Thermal Physics by Kittel & Kroemer in my class, but for me it doesn't have enough problems to practice. Does anyone know of any other textbook that covers the same material with more practice problems? Any help...
  41. G

    A2 thermal physics past paper help

    Im don't even know where to start, theses questions, it doesn't seem to link to anything I've learned or any equations. So here we go. 1a) show that about 78,000 J are required to move 28 grams of notrogen molecules (one mole) from the surface of the moon to a point far away from the surface...
  42. M

    How Do You Calculate Temperatures and Volumes in a Helium Gas PV Diagram Cycle?

    Homework Statement 100 moles of very dilute He gas are taken through the cycly ABC, where BC is an isothermal process. If P(a) = P(c) = 1atm, P(b) = 2atm and V(a) = V(b) = 3m^3, Calculate T(a), T(b) and V(c) Homework Equations eq1. PV = nRT eq2. V = nRT/P The Attempt at a Solution...
  43. N

    Thermal Physics - Energy Exchange

    Homework Statement Consider a collection of 100 oscillators, each with an average of 10 quanta. a) By what factor would \Omega(microstate) change if the total energy were increased by a factor of 2? b) By what factor would \Omega change if one more oscillator were added to the original...
  44. N

    Thermal Physics - Change of Entropy

    Consider a very simple model of a computer memory, in which molecules are either found to reside in the left half of their memory cell (encoding a "0"), or in the right half (encoding a "1"). Imagine that we have a 10-bit register. Initially each cell is in the "0" state (i.e., all particles...
  45. P

    Thermal Physics - Methane Fuel Cell

    I think I got a and b, the rest I did my best on, and I could use some guidance! Thanks!Homework Statement 1. [6] Methane (Natural Gas) Fuel Cell. Consider a fuel cell that uses methane as fuel. The chemical reaction is CH4 + 2O2 = 2H2O + CO2 + energy (a) [0.5] Measurements reveal that...
  46. S

    Thermal Physics, Homework #1 problem #1

    Consider a large number N of localized particles in an external magnetic field H. Each particle has spin 1/2. Find the number of states, g(N,M), accessible to the system as a function of M=(Nup-Ndown), the magnetization. Calculate the entropy per particle. Determine the value of M...
  47. A

    Comparison of two Thermal Physics Books

    Hello everyone! I am taking my Physics Ph. D. Qualifier on Friday and Saturday. During Saturday's exam we will be tested on E&M and Thermodynamics/Statistical Mechanics. We get to take 2 books to each exam, so I basically can take 1 Thermo Book with me (I'm also taking Griffiths on Saturday)...
  48. S

    Thermal Physics - Dalton's Law etc

    Inside the leaf of a plant, water vapour passes from the liquid phase to the vapour phase at the walls of the mesophyll cells, as shown in the figure (N/A due to copyright). The water vapour then diffuses through the intercellular air spaces and eventually exits the leaf through the stomatal...
  49. H

    The Final Equilibrium Temperature Reached?

    Homework Statement A perfectly insulated calorimeter cup(it niether gains nor loses energy) contains 300 grams of water at 10.0 degrees Celsius. If 15.0 grams of steam at 150 degrees Celsius are added to the water, what final equilibrium temp is reached? Homework Equations...
  50. O

    Reif statistical and thermal physics

    I've recently bought the 1965 copy of the reif textbook by mcgraw hill, fundamentals of statistical and thermal physics. The book seems like it is an advance level book. Anybody have any feedbacks about this textbook? Also, are there newer versions of this book?y 1965?
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