Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics book

In summary, the books by Adkins, Carruthers, and Fermi are all good sources of information for this subject. However, Schroeder is not a good source, and Dr. Tong's notes and Reif's book are both recommended.
  • #1
Mépris
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Hey guys,

I've never studied this subject before (except basic thermal physics in high school), and I have a course on it this semester. I'm in a semi international program, and this course isn't taught in English (but the tutorials are, thankfully), so I will need to study on my own.

In general, the English references aren't necessarily reliable, and the teachers just picked a few random books. So far, we've only had one teacher who went through the trouble of properly looking for suitable books to help the foreign students. Which is why I turn to you.

Here is a link to the course description.

Wasn't sure how to tag this as, and my browser was acting out. Sorry if I chose the wrong one.

Thanks!
 
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  • #2
The books by Adkins, and by Carruthers, both published by Cambridge, are excellent introductions. The monograph by Fermi is also very useful, but it does not contain exercises.
 
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  • #3
Do you mean Equilibrium Thermodynamics by Adkins? This one, I've found, but I can't even find the title of the other book!

What is its actual name?

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a look at it.

If others have anything else to suggest, feel free.
 
  • #4
Yes. That's the Adkins book. As for the others, I gave your an incorrect author - creeping senility -I should have said Carrington, not Carruthers!
Basic Thermodynamics (Oxford Science Publications) Paperback – August 4, 1994
by Gerald Carrington https://www.amazon.com/dp/0198517475/?tag=pfamazon01-20ISBN-13: 978-0198517474 ISBN-10: 0198517475 Edition: 1st
 
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  • #6
I've used Schroeder and I somewhat recommend against it. It seems to be very elementary in scope and application and I had a hard time with his style of writing. I would however recommend Dr Tong's notes on statistical mechanics,

http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/tong/statphys/sp.pdf

and Reif's book titled "Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics".
 

1. What is the main focus of Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics?

The main focus of Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics is to study the relationship between heat, energy, and work, and how they affect the behavior of matter on a macroscopic level. It also explores the statistical behavior of particles and how it relates to thermodynamic properties.

2. What are the fundamental laws of thermodynamics?

The three fundamental laws of thermodynamics are: 1) The law of conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. 2) The law of entropy, which states that the total entropy of a closed system always increases over time. 3) The law of absolute temperature, which states that the entropy of a pure crystalline substance at absolute zero temperature is zero.

3. What is the difference between thermodynamics and statistical physics?

Thermodynamics deals with macroscopic systems and their overall properties, such as temperature, pressure, and energy, while statistical physics focuses on the microscopic behavior of individual particles and how it relates to the macroscopic properties. In other words, thermodynamics studies the forest while statistical physics studies the trees.

4. How do thermodynamics and statistical physics relate to each other?

Thermodynamics and statistical physics are closely related, as the principles of statistical physics can be used to explain and derive the laws of thermodynamics. Statistical physics also provides a more detailed understanding of the behavior of matter on a microscopic level, which can then be applied to thermodynamic systems.

5. What are some real-world applications of thermodynamics and statistical physics?

Thermodynamics and statistical physics have numerous real-world applications, including energy production and efficiency, climate science, material science, and even biology. These principles are also essential in fields such as engineering, chemistry, and physics, and are used to understand and improve various processes and systems.

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