Abstract

Statistical Thermodynamics

Author(s): Stefan Paul

Statistical thermodynamics is an important link between quantum theory and chemical thermodynamics, yet it is a difficult subject for students to grasp. Statistical thermodynamics is a theory that predicts the behaviour of macroscopic amounts of molecules using molecular attributes. While statistical thermodynamics predates quantum physics, current statistical thermodynamics presume that the quantized energy levels associated with a given system are known. The partition function, a temperature-dependent quantity, can be determined using these energy-level data.