Kinetic Theory & Thermodynamics

SYLLABUS- KINETIC THEORY & THERMODYNAMICS,
UNIT-I
Ideal Gas: Kinetic model, Deduction of Boyle's law, Interpretation of temperature, Estimation
of r.m.s. speeds of molecules. Brownian motion, Estimate of the Avogadro number.
Equipartition of energy, Specific heat of monatomic gas, Extension to di- and triatomic gases,
Behaviour at low temperatures. Adiabatic expansion of an ideal gas, Applications to
atmospheric physics.
Real Gas: Van der Waals gas, Equation of state, Nature of Van der Waals forces, Comparison
with experimental P-V curves. The critical constants, Gas and vapour. Joule expansion of ideal
gas, and of a Van der Waals gas, Joule coefficient, estimates of J-T cooling.
UNIT-II
Liquefaction of Gases: Boyle temperature and inversion temperature. Principle of regenerative
cooling and of cascade cooling, Liquefaction of hydrogen and helium. Refrigeration cycles,
meaning of efficiency.
Transport Phenomena in Gases: Molecular collisions, mean free path and collision cross
sections. Estimates of molecular diameter and mean free path. Transport of mass, momentum
and energy and interrelationship, dependence on temperature and pressure.
UNIT-III
The Laws of Thermodynamics: The Zeroth law, various indicator diagrams, Work done by
and on the system, First law of thermodynamics, Internal energy as a state function and other
applications. Reversible and irreversible changes, Carnot cycle and its efficiency, Carnot
theorem and the second law of thermodynamics. Different versions of the second law, Practical
cycles used in internal combustion engines. Entropy, principle of increase of entropy. The
thermodynamic scale of temperature; its identity with the perfect gas scale.
Impossibility of attaining the absolute zero; Third law of thermodynamics. Thermodynamic
relationships: Thermodynamic variables; Extensive and intensive, Maxwell's general
relationships, Application to Joule-Thomson cooling and adiabatic cooling in a general system,
Van der Waals gas, Clausius-Clapeyron heat equation. Thermodynamic potentials and
equilibrium of thermodynamical systems, relation with thermodynamical variables. Cooling
due to adiabatic demagnetization, production and measurement of very low temperatures.
UNIT-IV
Blackbody Radiation: Pure temperature dependence, Stefan-Boltzmann law, Pressure of
radiation, Spectral distribution of Black body radiation, Wien's displacement law, Rayleigh-
Jean's law, Plank's law the ultraviolet catastrophy.