Schedule of topics, readings, exams, and homework (updated 1/21/06)

The first is a calendar-like function to help you keep track of the pre-class reading assignments, pre-class questions, scheduled discussion questions, and homework questions. This aspect also can help you keep a sense of perspective about where we have been and where we are going in the class. The entire semester is scheduled, but some rescheduling may be necessary, so be alert for changes. Check the update date in the heading above to see if changes have been made since you last viewed the web page.

The second major purpose is to provide you with immediate feedback on your assignments. As each assignment becomes due, the problem number will turn into a link to a completely worked out solution. While it is still fresh in your mind, you should compare your solution to the one given on the web page. Also, I have tried in my solutions to model good scientific writing. Note in particular that a sequence of equations is not enough to communicate clearly. You need words to explain the strategy of your solution, the relationship between concepts, and why the equations you use are applicable to the problem you are solving. I think you will find that writing out complete solutions will help you clarify the concepts in your own mind. (Note that this immediate feedback feature will keep me from accepting any late work.)  Solutions are also given for class discussion questions. You can use these while reviewing your class notes or supplementing your notes when we don't completely finish a problem during class.

Date	Topic	Reading	Preclass  questions	Discussion  questions	Homework  questions	Homework  Due on Thursdays
1/10	PHYS 454 Administration.   What do we already know about   temperature, heat, and phases of matter?
1/12	Thermal equilibrium, temperature,   ideal gases	pages 1-9	1.1, 1.9	1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 ,1.11, 1.12, 1.13	1.8 , 1.16
	Ideal gases and equipartition of energy	pages 10-17	1.18 , 1.24	1.19, 1.20, 1.21 , 1.23, 1.25	1.22
1/17	Heat and work, compression work	pages 17-23	1.26 , 1.32	1.27 , 1.29 , 1.33	1.28 , 1.34
	Compression of an ideal gas,  heat capacities	pages 23-32	1.35 , 1.42	1.37 , 1.38 , 1.39, 1.41 , 1.44 , 1.45	1.40 , 1.46	1.8 , 1.16 , 1.22
1/19	Latent heat and enthalpy	pages 32-37	1.47	1.48 , 1.49, 1.53	1.50
	Two state systems, Einstein solids	pages 49-55	2.1	2.2 , 2.5	2.3 , 2.6
1/24	Interacting systems, Large systems	pages 56-62	2.7 , 2.12 (a,d)	2.8 , 2.9 , 2.13	2.10	1.28 , 1.34 , 1.40 ,   1.46 , 1.50
	Stirling's approximation, statistics of   an Einstein solid	pages 62-67	2.15	2.16 , 2.17 , 2.21, 2.23	2.19 , 2.24
1/26	Ideal gas, entropy	pages 68-76	(none)	2.26 , 2.27 , 2.29	2.30
	Entropy of ideal gas	pages 76-79	2.31	2.32 , 2.33 , 2.34	2.35 , 2.36	2.3 , 2.6 , 2.10  2.19 , 2.24
1/30	Entropy of mixing, reversible/   irreversible processes	pages 79-84	2.40	2.37, 2.39	2.38
	Temperature	pages  85-92	3.1	3.3 , 3.4 , 3.6	3.5
2/7	Entropy and heat	pages 92-98	3.11	3.8 , 3.10 , 3.13 , 3.16	3.9 , 3.14	2.30 , 2.35 , 2.36 , 2.38
	Paramagnetism	pages 98-108	3.17	3.20 , 3.23 , 3.24	3.18 , 3.25
2/9	Thermodynamic identity	pages 108-115	3.27 , 3.28	3.29 , 3.30 , 3.33	3.31 , 3.34
	Chemical potential	pages 115-121	3.35	3.36 , 3.38	3.37 , 3.39	3.5 , 3.9 , 3.14 ,   3.18 , 3.25
2/14	Heat engines	pages 122-127	4.2	4.1 , 4.3 , 4.5	4.4
2/16	Midterm review	pages 1-108
2/21	First Midterm - In class - 1h   All covered material from 1.1-3.3	pages 1-108		First Midterm Examination
	Refrigerators	pages 127-131	4.9	4.7 , 4.8 , 4.10 , 4.12 , 4.14	4.11 , 4.15
2/23	Free energies	pages 149-156	5.2 , 5.3	5.4 , 5.5	5.1 , 5.6	3.31 , 3.34 , 3.37 , 3.39   (resubmit 3.25)
	Free energy as available work	pages 156-160	5.8	5.11 , 5.12 , 5.13	5.14
2/28	Free energy as force toward equilibrium	pages 161-166	5.21	5.22	5.20, 5.23	4.4, 4.11, 4.15
3/7	Phase transformations	pages 166-171	5.24	5.28 , 5.30	5.29, 5.31
3/9	Clausius-Clapeyron relation	pages 171-179	5.32 a) only	5.32 , 5.36 , 5.46	5.34	5.1 , 5.6 , 5.14
3/14	van der Waals model	pages 180-186	5.49	5.48, 5.55	5.51
3/16	Boltzmann factor	pages 220-228	6.4	6.2, 6.3, 6.14	6.1, 6.5
	Average values	pages 229-238	6.15	6.16, 6.17, 6.18	6.19, 6.20	5.20, 5.23, 5.29, 5.31, 5.34
3/21	Equipartition and the Maxwell distribution	pages 238-246	6.33	6.32, 6.35, 6.36, 6.37	6.31, 6.39
3/23	Partition functions	pages 247-251	(none)	6.42, 6.44	(none)
3/28	Ideal gas revisited and the Gibbs factor	pages 251-261	6.47	6.45, 6.52, 7.1	7.2	5.51, 6.1, 6.5, 6.19, 6.20
3/30	Bosons and Fermions	pages 262-271	(none)	7.8, 7.10, 7.12, 7.15	7.11, 7.13
4/4	Degenerate Fermi Gas (T=0)	pages 271-277	7.19	7.20, 7.21, 7.23 (a-d)	7.22
4/6	Review for Second Midterm					6.31, 6.39
4/11	Second Midterm Exam   In class (1h )	pages 109-186		sections 3.4-3.6, chapters 4   and 5,  sections 6.1, 6.2
4/13	Degenerate Fermi Gas (T > 0)	pages 277-288	7.25		7.26
4/18	Black-body radiation	pages 288-307	7.37	7.41	7.39
			7.43 a)	7.45, 7.51 a)-e)	7.53 (a-c)
4/20	Debye theory of solids	pages 307-314	7.58	7.57, 7.60, 7.61		7.26, 7.31, 7.39, 7.53 (a-c)
4/25	Bose-Einstein condensation	pages 315-326	7.65	7.66, 7.67, 7.68
4/28	Review session for final exam
TBA	Final Exam-2h	pages 1-326