Welcome to the course page for Thermodynamics, PHYS311, and for the associated lab, PHYS310
See the welcome page of this site for my schedule. It’s there to assist you in setting up appointments.
We’ll be using Daniel Schroeder’s “An Introduction to Thermal Physics” as the course text. I’ve asked that some copies be available to you in the bookstore, assuming most of you will source it through some legal online channel.
Thermodynamics Course Documents
Syllabus (version 2024.01.17)
2024.01.17 – separated grades between 310W/311 and added language about WID designation
Tentative Schedule (version 2024.02.21)
Tentative PHYS310 outline (version 2024.01.01)
This will change – it’s a draft that’s been revised a few times to reflect how the course has gone in the past, but I’m working on a new approach this term so it will likely live in flux.
PHYS311 Reference Card (version 2022.02.14)
This can change – edits applied as requested
Thermodynamics Term Project
Prompt ( .pdf | .nb version 2024.02.15)
Rubric ( .pdf | .nb version 2024.02.15)
Template ( .nb version 2024.02.15)
Thermodynamics Tidbits
Here’s a link to a nice resource for the Maxwell Relations
And here’s a link to the Mathematica page on this site
Thermodynamics Exams and Due Dates
See schedule for dates. The third exam and project presentations will be during our final exam time (TBA) and the final class meeting. Which happens when is up to the class.
exam I: solution
exam II: solution
exam III: (blank copy | solution)
Thermodynamics Homework
All homework is due on the meeting after we complete presentation of the concerned chapter. When assignments are finalized here, they will be italicized. Exercises designated to be submitted as computational essays are denoted with an asterisk * (see below). These are worth double points; if you choose not to turn in the computational essay you cannot earn more than 50% of the points on starred problems. I will issue up to one homework bonus point per extra problem submitted in computational essay form.
HWch1: 1, 6, 7a, 8a, 16, 23, 46, 54, 57, 60, 62, 68, 70 (* you pick)
HWch2: 1, 8, 16, 23, 27, 29, 33*
HWch3: 1*, 4, 5, 7, 11, 24, 28, 33, 36
HWch4: 1, 2, 14, 18*
HWch5: 3, 4, 5, 10, 21, 23, 26, 32, 52*, 53*
HWch6: 3, 16, 20, 28*, 32, 34*, 42
HWch7:
HWch8:
Thermodynamics Lab
Einstein Prompt
Paramagnet Prompt
Absorption Refrigerator Prompt
Mathematica Computational Essays
I began having students write up some of the particularly suited exercises in Mathematica some time ago for three reasons:
1) frequently a computer is necessary to create plots in a reasonable time anyway and Excel is not very good at the task,
2) the MS Office suite is no longer good enough for most employers when they ask if you have “computer skills,” and
3) there is a richer learning that takes place when one spends time trying to tell a story instead of simply doing a calculation, especially if there is more than one way to solve a problem or you have made assumptions in the solving that merit explanation.
Here is an interesting blog post from the guy behind Mathematica. His goal is similar to mine. Most of the entries in the Wolfram Documentation are written in this style and the tutorials I have created to get you going with the Wolfram Language are also computational essays of sorts. Here are a couple more examples:
General academic with motivation, sort of a meta essay
(.nb format | .pdf format)
Not academic at all, answers the problem I encountered last summer: “how to minimize delivery charges for stuff that I don’t want to try to move with a Corolla for this summer’s projects”
(.nb format | .pdf format)
I write up most problems I solve as computational essays for the same reasons I have you do it for some and dangle bonus points to motivate you to do more. Here’s one (.pdf | .nb) that is exactly what I’m looking for in the homework exercises designated with asterisks above.
Student Folders
Current students each have a folder used for handling work. You have permissions only on your folder. Access yours by clicking on your initials below: