Course Name
Paradigms in Physics: Energy and Entropy
Course Number
ph423
Year/Term
Winter-2026
Course Credits
3
Class meeting times
7 hours of lecture per week for five weeks
Prerequisites
Recommended PH 213
Course description
Thermodynamics and canonical statistical mechanics.
Topic/Day
Activities
Resources
Homework Due
Day 1 W1 D1
Day 2 W1 D2
Interpreting derivatives
Day 2 W1 D3
Ice calorimetry lab
Textbook reading: Schroeder section 1.6 "Heat Capacities".
Day 4 W2 D1
Math Bits:
Derivatives and differentials
Day 5 W2 D2
Day 6 W2 D3
Day 7 W3 D1
Math Bits:
Other multivariable systems
Isolength and Isoforce Stretchability on the PDM
Day 8 W3 D2
Math Bits:
Partial Derivatives (activity with surface)
Day 9 Mon 10/7
Symmetry of partial derivatives
Day 10 Tues 10/8
Day 11 Wed 10/9
Day 12 Thurs 10/10
Discussion of free expansion worksheet
Day 13 Fri 10/11
Midterm review
Day 14 Mon 10/14
Day 15 Tues 10/15
MIDTERM
Day 16 Wed 10/16
Day 17 Thurs 10/17
Changing entropy
Heat and Work
Day 18 Fri 10/18
Day 19 Mon 10/21
Debrief on midterm results
Day 20 Tues 10/22
The Rubber Band Lab
You will be collecting data to quantify the decrease in entropy when a rubber band is isothermally stretched.
Day 21 Wed 10/23
Day 22 Thurs 10/24
Day 23 Fri 10/25
Day 24 Mon 10/28
Topic for Monday
Interstellar medium
Day 25 Tues 10/29
Day 26 Wed 10/30
Boltzmann Statistics
Day 27 Thurs 10/31
Thermodynamic properties from Boltzmann Stats
Day 28 Fri 11/1
Final - Mon 11/4
Final exam
7:00pm - 9:00pm on Monday evening.