Thermal Physics

Three credits · Undergraduate

This course introduces the statistical nature of physical systems from an energetic perspective. Topics covered: laws of thermodynamics; ideal gases and Einstein solids; entropy and its relation with temperature, pressure, and chemical potential; engines and refrigerators; Helmholtz and Gibbs free energy; chemical thermodynamics; Boltzmann statistics; partition functions; Maxwell distribution; Gibbs factors and quantum statistics; Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions; degenerate electron gases; blackbody radiation and Planck’s distribution; Debye theory of solids. Prerequisites: PHYS 242; CSCI 161 or ENGR 144. Three credits and lab. Not offered 2026-2027.