Thermal physics Definition and 201 Threads

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. S

    How Do Water Molecules Diffuse Through Plant Stomata?

    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...
  2. 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...
  3. 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?
  4. B

    What is the Temperature of the Rubber Spacer in Thermal Physics Problem?

    Homework Statement Two brass plates, each 0.5 cm thick, have a rubber spacer sheet between them, which is 0.1 cm thick. The outer side of one brass plate is kept at 0 oC, while the outer side of the other is at 100 oC. Find the temperature of the two sides of rubber spacer if the thermal...
  5. W

    Struggling with Thermal Physics? Any Suggestions?

    I don't know why, but my weak point has always been thermo. I am taking thermal physics and I am finding it difficult. I don't have a problem with Classical Mechanics, E&M. Even quantum I don't find nearly as difficult to DO as thermo. To make things even more difficult, my class does not have a...
  6. W

    Discover the Top Graduate Textbook for Thermal Physics Studies

    What is the "standard" textbook for graduate studies in thermal physics?
  7. K

    Thermal Physics, Kittel Chapter 2 problem 2

    I'm just reposting this question that someone else asked a long time ago but got no responses. Any help would be great. Hi, Studying for my thermal physics final and want to make sure I'm doing this right as our book doesn't have answers. Pretty simple question so I need to make sure I'm...
  8. M

    AP Question involving Ideal Gas Law - Thermal Physics - Pressure

    [SOLVED]AP Question involving Ideal Gas Law - Thermal Physics - Pressure I am having some trouble with an old ap problem(PART C ONLY), see below: Homework Statement 1996 AP PHYSICS B Free Response Question: The inside of the cylindrical can has a cross sectional area of 0.005 m^3 and...
  9. F

    Thermal Physics: 2 Cases, Ratio V(1)/V(2) for Small T

    I had a question about 2 cases we have a cilinder with 2 Ideal Gases. The volume, mass and the number of particles is given. So We call it V(1),M(1),N(1) for the first gas and V(2),M(2),N(2) for the second gas. The two gases are separated by a movable wall Now what is the Ratio V(1)/V(2)...
  10. U

    Solve Thermal Physics Homework: Find Mass of Gas Leaked From Tank

    Homework Statement A steel container contains 300g of ideal gas at a pressure of 1.35 x 106 Pa and temperature of 77oC. When the tank is checked later, the temperature is dropped to 22oC and the pressure has fallen to 8.7 x 105 Pa. How many grams of gas leaked out of the tank? Homework...
  11. D

    What Happens to Lung Volume When Ascending from a Submarine?

    Homework Statement A submarine has run into trouble and is stuck at the bottom of the ocean. Several people are on board and must make their way to the surface without any diving gear. The air pressure aboard the submarine is 3.36 atm. the air temperature inside the submarine is 18.51 C and...
  12. B

    Ideal Gas Law (Thermal Physics)

    guys, I'm having difficulty in solving this problem. Two vessels, one having 3 times volume of the other, are connected through narrow tube of negligible volume. The initial temperature is 290K. The small vessel is then cooled down to 250K while the large vessel is heated up to 400K. What is...
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    Why Am I Struggling with Thermal Physics Calculations?

    Hi..i was trying out some calculations i found on some site as practice for my exam this Friday and realized that i don't understand at all.. Everytime i tried something..my answers were wrong.. E.i 1. How much heat energy is needed to heat 4 kg of aluminium by 8 (degrees)C? The...
  14. L

    Calculating Skin Temperature: Using a Thermometer with Resistance Equation

    A thermometer is used to measure the skin temperature of a patient. This thermometer works by having a wire in contact with the skin. As the temperature of the skin changes it will change the temperture of the wire and hence the resistance of teh wire. If the wire has a resistance of 40 Ohms at...
  15. B

    Thermal Physics: Find d(1/T)/dp & d(V/T)/dH

    [SOLVED] thermal physics Homework Statement the differential of enthalpy is given by dH=TdS-VdP Homework Equations Beginning with the above relationship, find the equation for the differential of the entropy and then show that (d(1/T)/dp)|H=(d(V/T)/dH)|p The Attempt at a Solution...
  16. N

    Thermal Physics - Calculating Work, Heat, and Internal Energy in a Gas Cylinder

    Homework Statement A cylinder contains one litre of air at T = 300 K and P = 105 Pa. At one end of the cylinder is a massless piston, whose surface area is 0.01 m^2. Suppose you push the piston in suddenly, with a force of 2000 N. The piston moves only 1 mm, before being stopped by an immovable...
  17. E

    Deriving the TdS Equation for Thermal Physics

    Homework Statement Derive the following equation Homework Equations TdS = C_{V} \left( \frac{\partial T}{\partial P} \right)_{V}dP + C_{P} \left( \frac{\partial T}{\partial V} \right)_{P}dV The Attempt at a Solution dU = \delta Q - \delta W \delta Q = TdS for a closed...
  18. B

    Is Heat Added to Water When Temperature Increases?

    1. Homework Statement A cup containing 200 grams of H20 is siting on your dining room table . After carefully measuring its temperature to be 20 degree celsuis , y ou leave the room. Returning ten minutes later, you meaure its temperature again and find that it is now 25 degree celsuis...
  19. B

    Why Did the Water's Temperature Increase Without Adding Heat?

    Homework Statement A cup containing 200 grams of H20 is siting on your dining room table . After carefully measuring its temperature to be 20 degree celsuis , y ou leave the room. Returning ten minutes later, you meaure its temperature again and find that it is now 25 degree celsuis. What...
  20. E

    KK Thermal Physics Ch4: A Peculiar Model of Photons

    I am looking in KK Thermal Physics ch4 at what I assume to be the standard derivation of the SB law of radiation and I notice something peculiar. On the one hand, they model the photon as a 1D SHO with energy given by \epsilon = n \hbar \omega On the ohter hand, the distribution of the...
  21. E

    Mathematica Mathematical Thermal Physics Problem

    Homework Statement Suppose there exists a relation among three coordinates x, y and z such that f(x,y,z) = 0 Then prove the following relation Homework Equations \left(\frac{\delta x}{\delta y} \right)_{z} = \frac{1}{\left( \frac{\delta y}{\delta x} \right)_{z}} The Attempt...
  22. V

    Thermal physics problem on steel bar

    [SOLVED] Thermal physics problem Homework Statement A steel bar 10cm long is welded end-to-end to a copper bar 20cm long. Both bars are insulated perfectly along their sides. Each bar has a radius of 2.0cm. The free end of the steel bar is maintained at 100^{o}C and the free end of the copper...
  23. S

    Thermal Physics: Kinetic Energy of Neon Molecules

    [SOLVED] thermal physics Homework Statement a) What is the total random kinetic energy of all the molecules in one mole of neon at a temperature of 305 K? I got 3801.83J (b) With what speed would a mole of neon have to move so that the kinetic energy of the mass as a whole would be equal to...
  24. G

    What Is the Final Temperature of a Mixture of Oxygen and Air?

    Homework Statement An oxygen supply system mixes oxygen at 105 K and room air at 307 K at equal mass flow rates. What is the temperature of the resulting mixture in K? (c of oxygen = 918 J/kgK, c of air = 1012 J/kgK) Homework Equations Q=mc\Delta T and Q=mL_f The Attempt at a Solution...
  25. S

    Thermal physics - ratio of multiplicites

    Homework Statement A penny, made of crystalline copper, is heated at 1,083 degrees celsius and melts. The density of copper is 8.5 g/cm^3. The energy needed to melt copper is 200 J/g. You will need to estimate the volume of a penny. By what factor does the multiplicity of the copper change...
  26. S

    Where Can I Find a Thermal Physics Q&A Forum for My Class?

    where would one post questions from a thermal physics class?
  27. J

    Thermal Expansion of Bubbles in a Lake

    Homework Statement Two identical bubbles of gas form at the bottom of a lake, then rise to the surface. Because the pressure is much lower at the surface than at the bottom, both bubbles expand as they rise. However, bubble A rises very quickly, so that no heat is exchanged between it and...
  28. D

    Need Help with Reif's Statistical and Thermal Physics Problems?

    can somebody help me answer the problems 4.4 and 4.2 in statistical and thermal physics by reif. thanks in advance
  29. T

    Thermal Physics Help: Argon Adsorption Equilibrium

    Thermal Physics Help?? Please - any help is appreciated. I kind of have an idea of where to start but would like any input. Thanks in advance. Consider an ideal gas of argon atoms in equilibrium with argon atoms adsorbed on a plane surface. (Ps) is the # of sites per unit surface area at...
  30. K

    Thermal Physics (Schoeder) questions needed

    Homework Statement Guys, I have a small problem... I have some problems to do over the weekend from "Thermal Physics" by Schroeder... and I forgot my textbook at res (I'm at home at the moment). If anyone out there has this specific book, please can you send me the following questions...
  31. T

    Very good free online thermal Physics book

    I am currently in a thermal physics class and am using the popular standard textbook by Schroeder. But I found some of the derivations in there non-rigorous and lack good explanation. I looked for some additional references and I came across this site: http://stp.clarku.edu/notes/ which...
  32. V

    Alternatives to Kittel & Kroemer's Thermal Physics ?

    Alternatives to Kittel & Kroemer's "Thermal Physics"? Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone knows of a good book teaching thermal physics /statistical mechanics other than KK. I've found that it is very hard to get a feel of what's going on from that book. Does anyone have any good...
  33. B

    How Does Temperature Affect the Density of Helium Gas?

    Homework Statement The density of helium gas at T = 0°C and atmospheric pressure is 0 = 0.179 kg/m3. The temperature is then raised to T = 105°C, but the pressure is kept constant. Assuming that helium is an ideal gas, calculate the new density f of the gas. kg/m3 Homework Equations PV...
  34. A

    Questions In Electricity And Thermal Physics

    Hi Within one month and a half I will be taking an exam in this section of physics and I need answers for some questions or in fact lots of questions: que 1 / when a filament lamp glows that means it has been heated and as I understood from physics that light is emitted when electrons come...
  35. N

    Thermal Physics - Absorbtion of oxygen in a magnetic field

    Question: Suppose that at most one O_2 can be bound to a heme group (see Problem 8), and that when \lambda(O_2) = 10^{-5} we have 90 percent of hemes occupied by O_2. Consider O_2 as having a spin of 1 and a magnetic moment of 1 \mu_B. How strong a magnetic field is needed to change the...
  36. F

    Special Relativity and Thermal Physics finals

    Well, here I go, six hours of finals starting right now. Special Relativity and Thermal Physics.
  37. M

    Solving Thermal Physics Problem: Specific Heat Calculation

    Sounds like Chemistry to me. So our teacher sends us all home with packets full of info on things we've never covered in class and I've got to do this. Here's one problem that I'm not sure if I did right. What is the specific heat of a metal substance if 135 kJ of heat is needed to raise 5.1...
  38. E

    Thermal Physics and Probabilities

    I'm currently taking an advanced undergrad (3rd year) course in thermal physics, and I can tell I'm going to need a much better understanding of probability and statistics in order to grasp the material. We are using the book "Thermal Physics" by Kittel and Kroemer, and I don't really enjoy it...
  39. B

    Thermal physics exam questions - would you check my answers please?

    I've been revising for my exams with past exam papers supplied by my uni, but they don't supply the answer schemes for them. Would some of you guys look at them for me if I put the question and the answers I get? Thanks 1) i) calculate the change in length of a 1.5m long copper bar when...
  40. B

    Estimating Temperature and Wavelength of a Light Bulb Filament

    I have a question which is: The filament of a 40W light bulb has a radius of 1.5μm and a length of 10cm. Estimate: i) the operating temperature of the filament ii) the peak wavelength of the emitted thermal radiation Stating any assumptions made. I assumed that the filament was made...
  41. I

    Thermal Physics > Air and Internal Energy

    This Q has me stumped, I'm still flicking through some web pages and my textbook, but been unable to find a useful formula to work it out yet: :confused:
  42. D

    Solving Thermal Physics Questions: Q1 Calorimeter & Q2 Ice & Water

    hi there guys I am doing a thermal physics question and its hard please help me and point me in the right directions please thanks. question 1 A 50g copper calorimeter contains 250g of water at 20degrees celsius how much steam must be condensed into water if the final temperature is to...
  43. J

    How Do You Calculate the Final Temperature in a Mixed Water and Ice System?

    I'm a conceptual difficulty with this simple problem In an insulated container, 0.800 kg of water at 40.0 degrees centigrade is mixed with 0.500 kg of ice at -15.0 degrees centigrade. Find the final temperature T_\mathrm{f} of the system. The freezing point of water is 0 degrees centigrade...
  44. A

    Thermal Physics Problem: Finding Final Temperature of a Water-Ice Mixture

    Please help. An insulated beaker with negligible mass contains liquid water with a mass of 0.350kg and a temperature of 76.3 degrees celsius. How much ice at a temperature of −18.1 degrees celsius must be dropped into the water so that the final temperature of the system will be 35.5...
  45. R

    Thermal Physics problem: Heat transfer coefficient?

    I'm having a bit of trouble with a Thermal Physics excercise. I was wondering if anyone knew what the definition of the heat transfer coefficient was? I can't find anything about it in my textbook (Thermal Physics, 2nd ed., C.B.P. Finn). More specifically, the assignment at hand says to find...
  46. J

    Thermal physics - partition function

    Hi, i'm having trouble with a thermal physics problem relating to the partition function and i was wondering if anyone could help me out. the problem is as follows: (a) Consider a molecule which has energy levels En=c|n| , where n is a vector with integer components. Compute the partition...
  47. U

    Need some help understanding some thermal physics

    well the question I have is about black bodies and it says that we have one black body (nonreflecting) at temperature Tu and another black body at temperature T1 (they are parallel and in a vacuum.) The energy flux between them is (Tu^4 - T1^4)*Stefan-Boltzman's constant and the question wants...
  48. V

    How Can I Solve These Thermal Physics Problems?

    Hi, I'm a high school physics student, and I'm having problems with two questions: 1. An aluminum cube 20 cm on a side is heated from 50° C to 150° C in a chamber at atmospheric pressure. Determine the work done by the cube and the change in its internal energy. If the same process was...
  49. B

    Thermal physics How would I go about this one?

    We just started this stuff and I'm not too good at it, I was able to figure out most of my homework from a thread I posted earlier today and a lot of reading, but this question still stumps me... If you could just get me started on which equation to use, what the concept is behind it, I'm sure...
  50. G

    A bubble question - thermal physics

    Hey everybody! this is my first time on this site and i really hope i'll get an answer 'cause i don't know it... ... and to the point: 2 bubbles are at the same depth in the ocean. asumption 1: the temperature is the same in the whole ocean. assumption 2: the pressure is smaller as you go...
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