PH36151T Problem Set 1

1. In how many ways can we arrange N distinguishable objects? Explain. [Ans. N!]
2. In how many ways can we put N distinguishable objects in r distinguishable boxes
(without regards to order within the boxes) such that there are N1 objects in the first
box, N2 objects in the second box, ....... , Nr objects in the rth box? Explain.

Ans.

!


 
!

3. In how many ways can we select a set of N distinguishable objects from a set of g
distinguishable objects? Explain. Ans.

!

!!

4. In how many ways can we put N distinguishable objects into g distinguishable boxes,
if there is no limit on the number of objects in a given box? Explain. Ans.

!
!!

5. In how many ways can we put N distinguishable objects into g distinguishable boxes?
Explain. [Ans. gN.]
6. Two candidates were contesting for the post of maintenance manager of a building.
Among the 40 (forty) residents in the building, 16 voted for Valmiki and 24 voted for
Vyasdev. Calculate the thermodynamic probability, the macrostate and the microstate
for the vote distribution.
7. Five indistinguishable particles are distributed among the four equally spaced energy
levels  ,  = 2 ,  = 3 ,  = 4 with no restriction on the number of particles
in each energy state. If the total energy is to be 12 , then (a) specify the occupation
number of each level for each macrostate, and (b) find the number of microstates for
each macrostate given that there is only one energy state in the energy level  , three
energy state in level  , four in level  , and five in level  .
8. (a) Find the number of macrostates for an assembly of four particles distributed
among two energy levels one or which is two-fold degenerate. (b) Find the
thermodynamic probability of each macrostate if there is no restriction on the number
of particles in each energy state and the particles are indistinguishable, (c)
distinguishable. (d) Calculate the thermodynamic probability of the assembly for parts
(b) and (c).
9. There are 30 distinguishable particles distributed among three nondegenerate energy
levels labelled 1, 2, 3, such that N1 =N2 = N3 = 10. The energies of the levels are  =
2 eV, ,  = 4 eV, ,  = 6 eV. (a) If the change in the occupation number of level 2,
!" = 2, find !" and !" , such that !$ = 0. (b) Find the thermodynamic
probability of the macrostate before and after the change.
10. Six distinguishable particles are distributed over three nondegenerate energy levels.
Level 1 is at zero energy; level 2 has an energy ; and level 3 has an energy 2 . (a)
Calculate the total number of microstates for the system. (b) Calculate the number of
microstates such that there are three particles in level 1, two in level 2, and one in
level 3. (c) Find the energy of the distribution for which the thermodynamic
probability of the given macrostate is largest. (d) Calculate the total number of
microstates if the total energy of the six particles is 5 .

11. Obtain the distribution function, partition function, and specific heat for air molecules
in the earths atmosphere assuming it to be approximately isothermal.
/0

/8 9

(Ans. ) = )* exp . 12 34 ; 6 = <D* exp 12 .  :;3< 4 = >? 2@:AB9 ;S

'
R
'
R
GH
G
G LM N
P
'
R
E8 = F I = JKB  F
I O = K.
G2 =,
G2
G2 =,

&
Q
=,
12. (a) Verify explicitly the invariance of the volume element d of the phase space of a
single particle under transformation from the Cartesian coordinates (x,y,z,px,py,pz) to
the spherical polar coordinates (r, , , pr, p, p).
(b) The foregoing result seems to contradict the intuitive notion of equal weights for
equal solid angles, because the factor sin is invisible in the expression for d. Show
that if we average out any physical quantity, whose dependence on p and p comes
only through the kinetic energy of the particle, then as a result of integration over
these variables, we do indeed recover the factor sin to appear with the subelement
(d d).
13. A particle of unit mass is executing simple harmonic vibrations. Determine its
trajectory in phase space.
14. The generalized coordinates of a simple pendulum are the angular displacement and
the angular momentum. Study, both mathematically and graphically, the nature of the
corresponding trajectories in the phase space of the system, and show that the area A
enclosed by the trajectory is equal to the product of the total energy E and the time
period T of the pendulum.
15. Show that in the formulation of microcanonical ensemble, the free energy of a system
G LM
VLM
can be expressed as T = $  GH . H 4 W. GH 4

16. Establish the relations (i) $ = .

GXY
GX

=,

=,

4 ; (ii) Z8 = A[  .
=

G 9 XY
GX 9

4 , where F is the free

=

energy.
17. Evaluate the partition function at temperature T for a classical one-dimensional
oscillator. Hence find the mean energy of the oscillator.
18. (a) Assuming that the total number of microstates accessible to a given statistical
system is , show that the entropy of the system, as given by \ = A ]ln _` a =
A ` _` ln _` , is maximum when all states are equally likely to occur.
(b) If, on the other hand, we have an ensemble of systems sharing energy (with mean
value bc ), then show that the entropy, as given by the same formal expression, is
maximum when _` exp[b` , being a constant to be determined by the given
value of bc .
19. What do you mean by the statistical weight of a thermodynamic system? Calculate the
statistical weight for a single particle of mass m in a box of volume V. The macrostate
of the particle is specified as (E, V, N = 1).
20. Calculate the statistical weight if there are N non-interacting particles in the box
mentioned in the previous problem (i.e. an ideal gas).
=

21. Show that the entropy of an ideal gas is given by \ = "A ln
>?  .

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