Course Overview

This course covers the principles and methods of equilibrium statistical mechanics for applications to chemical physics problems. The lectures will be divided into three parts: a short review of thermodynamics principles, the concepts of ensemble theory and the applications to gas, liquid, solution and solid systems. The final part will introduce the phase transition and the theory of Brownian motion. Planned topics: laws of thermodynamics, thermal equilibrium and temperature, ensemble theory, entropy, non-interacting systems (gas and solid), chemical equilibrium, imperfect gases, classical liquids, ionic and non-ionic solutions, Ising models. Langevin equation and Brownian motion.

Learning Achievement

This course aims to introduce basic concepts of equilibrium statistical mechanics for physical chemistry in the graduate level.

Competence

Course prerequisites

*Majors-only (including minor and double major students).

Grading Philosophy

Course schedule

Course type

Online Course Requirement

Instructor

Yuan-Chung Cheng

Other information

Division of Chemistry

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