Ergodicity: Exploring Every Possibility Over Time
Ergodicity is a key concept in statistical mechanics that describes a system’s ability to explore all of its accessible microstates
Thermodynamic Limit: Scaling Up to Reveal True System Behavior
The thermodynamic limit refers to the idealized behavior of a physical system as the number of particles (N) and the
Percolation Theory: Modeling Flow Through Porous Media
Percolation theory is a branch of statistical physics and mathematics that studies how fluids, particles, or information move through porous
Ising Model: A Simple Framework for Understanding Magnetism
The Ising model is a fundamental mathematical model in statistical mechanics used to describe ferromagnetism—the phenomenon where atomic spins tend
Equipartition Theorem: Equal Energy Sharing at Thermal Equilibrium
The equipartition theorem is a principle in classical statistical mechanics that states: At thermal equilibrium, each independent degree of freedom
Partition Function: The Thermodynamic Rosetta Stone
The partition function is a fundamental concept in statistical mechanics that serves as a mathematical summary of all possible states
Maxwell–Boltzmann Distribution: Speeds of Particles in Classical Gases
The Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution describes how particle speeds are distributed in a classical ideal gas at a given temperature. It applies
Fermi–Dirac Statistics: Rules for Particles That Can’t Share States
Fermi–Dirac statistics apply to particles called fermions, which obey the Pauli exclusion principle—meaning no two identical fermions can occupy the
Bose–Einstein Statistics: Describing Particles That Like to Share
Bose–Einstein statistics apply to particles known as bosons, which do not obey the Pauli exclusion principle. This means that multiple
Rarefaction Waves: Expanding Regions of Low Pressure
Rarefaction waves are expanding regions in a fluid where pressure, density, and temperature decrease, typically forming after a shock wave