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Consider a hypothetical atom that has just two states: a ground state with energy zero and an excited state with energy 2 eV. Draw a graph of the partition function for this system as a function of temperature, and evaluate the partition function numerically at T = 300 K, 3000 K, 30,000 K, and 300,000 K.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Therefore the partition functions are:

Z(300K)=1+2.512×10-34Z(3000K)=1.000436Z(30000K)=1.461Z(300000K)=1.925

Step by step solution

01

Given information 

A hypothetical atom that has just two states: a ground state with energy zero and an excited state with energy 2 eV.

02

Explanation 

The partition function is equal to the total of all Boltzmann factors, i.e.

Z=∑se-E(s)/kT

Given two states, a ground state with zero energy and an excited state with e =2eV, the partition function is

Z=e0+e-ϵ/kTZ=1+e-ϵ/kT

Substituting ϵand Boltzmann's constant k=8.617×10-5eV/K

Z=1+e-2eV/8.617×10-5eV/KTZ=1+e-23210K/T

Using python to plot the partition function as a function of temperature, the code is:

The graph is:

03

Calculations

At temperature of T= 300 K, the value of the partition function is:

Z(300K)=1+e-23210K/300KZ(300K)=1+2.512×10-34

At temperature of T= 3000 K, the value of the partition function is:

Z(3000K)=1+e-23210K/3000KZ(3000K)=1.000436

At temperature of T= 30000 K, the value of the partition function is:

Z(30000K)=1+e-23210K/30000KZ(30000K)=1.461

At temperature of T= 300000 K, the value of the partition function is:

Z(300000K)=1+e-23210K/300000KZ(300000K)=1.925

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Most popular questions from this chapter

This problem concerns a collection of N identical harmonic oscillators (perhaps an Einstein solid or the internal vibrations of gas molecules) at temperature T. As in Section 2.2, the allowed energies of each oscillator are 0, hf, 2hf, and so on. (

a) Prove by long division that

11-x=1+x+x2+x3+⋯

For what values of x does this series have a finite sum?

(b) Evaluate the partition function for a single harmonic oscillator. Use the result of part (a) to simplify your answer as much as possible.

(c) Use formula 6.25 to find an expression for the average energy of a single oscillator at temperature T. Simplify your answer as much as possible.

(d) What is the total energy of the system of N oscillators at temperature T? Your result should agree with what you found in Problem 3.25.

(e) If you haven't already done so in Problem 3.25, compute the heat capacity of this system and check t hat it has the expected limits as T→0 and T→∞.

Estimate the temperature at which the translational motion of a nitrogen molecule will freeze out, in a box of width1cm.

The analysis of this section applies also to liner polyatomic molecules, for which no rotation about the axis of symmetry is possible. An example is CO2, with ∈=0.000049eV. Estimate the rotational partition function for a CO2molecule at room temperature. (Note that the arrangement of the atoms isOCO, and the two oxygen atoms are identical.)

Estimate the probability that a hydrogen atom at room temperature is in one of its first excited states (relative to the probability of being in the ground state). Don't forget to take degeneracy into account. Then repeat the calculation for a hydrogen atom in the atmosphere of the starγ UMa, whose surface temperature is approximately 9500 K.

For an O2molecule, the constant ∈is approximately 0.00018eV. Estimate the rotational partition function for an O2molecule at room temperature.

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