Subject Code: CY7L015 Subject Name: Statistical Mechanics for Chemists L-T-P: 3-0-0 Credit: 3
Prerequisite(s): Nil
Introduction to statistical thermodynamics - postulates, microcanonical, canonical and grand canonical ensembles, partition function and thermodynamics, fluctuation, statistical mechanics of independent particles - degeneracy of energy levels and equilibrium distribution function in Maxwell- Bolzmann, Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein statistics.
Statistical mechanics of mono-, diatomic and polyatomic ideal gas -contribution of rotation, vibration and translation to partition function, electronic contribution to the specific heat of diatomic gases. Solids - vibrational contribution to the specific heat of solids, Einstein-Born-Debye model.
Classical statistical mechanics - phase space, Liouville's theorem. Intermolecular interaction. Application to - imperfect gases, liquid structure, chemical equilibrium and phase equilibrium. Electrochemical systems - effect of non-polar and charged solutes on the structure of water; formation of charge double layer near a charged electrode. Introduction to macromolecular solutions.
Transport properties in gases and condensed phases - kinetic theory of gases, diffusion in solution, transport in electrolyte solutions - Debye-Huckel Theory; Beyond the Debye-Huckel approximation - Debye-Huckel-Bronsted theory, Debye-Huckel-Onsager theory.
Dynamics of chemical reactions in solution - transition state theory using partition functions, non-Arhennius kinetics resulting from solvent effects.
Text/ Reference Books:
  1. McQuarrieD. A. Statistical Mechanics, University Science Books.
  2. ChandlerD. Introduction to Modern Statistical Mechanics, Oxford University Press.
  3. Hansen J. P. and McDonald I. R. Theory of simple liquids, Academic Press.
  4. Widom B.  Statistical Mechanics- A concise Introduction for Chemists, Cambridge University    Press.
  5. Hill T. L. Statistical mechanics: principles and selected applications, Courier Dover  Publications.