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4.8: Problems

  • Page ID
    206334
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    1. The gravitational potential energies available to a molecule near the surface of the earth are \(\epsilon \left(h\right)=mgh\). Each height, \(h\), corresponds to a unique energy, so we can infer that the degeneracy of \(\epsilon \left(h\right)\) is unity. Derive the probability density function for the distribution of molecules in the earth’s atmosphere. (See Problem 19 in Chapter 3.)

    2. The value of the molecular partition function approximates the number of quantum states that are available to the molecule and whose energy is less than \(kT\). How many such quantum states are available to a molecule of molecular weight \(40\) that is confined in a volume of \({10}^{-6}\ {\mathrm{m}}^3\) at \(300\) K?


    This page titled 4.8: Problems is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Paul Ellgen via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.