Teaching Thermodynamics with the Quantum Volume

2020/01/27 by Ted H. Yu · 12 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Canonical ensemble #Entropy (arrow of time) #Mathematics #Microcanonical ensemble #Monte Carlo method #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum mechanics #Quantum thermodynamics #Statistical Mechanics and Entropy #Statistical physics #Statistics #Theoretical physics #Thermodynamics #Volume (thermodynamics)

paper · doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00742

published in Journal of Chemical Education 97(3), 736-740 (American Chemical Society)

openalex publication_date 2020/01/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

The author introduces the concept of the quantum volume into thermodynamics teaching. A new derivation of the basic part of the Sackur–Tetrode equation uses the microcanonical ensemble instead of the math-heavy canonical ensemble. Entropy diagrams, based on the binomial distribution, visualize the ratio between the quantum volume and system volume.

Citations

• On the equilibrium of heterogeneous substances

Cited by

• Lattice Models in Molecular Thermodynamics: Merging the Configurational and Translational Entropies. [europepmc]
• A Pedagogical Reinforcement of the Ideal (Hard Sphere) Gas Using a Lattice Model: From Quantized Volume to Mechanical Equilibrium. [europepmc]

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