Overview

The aim of this unit is to provide students with a solid understanding of the fundamental laws of thermodynamics, kinetic theory and statistical physics.

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Describe the laws of thermodynamics from both a macroscopic and microscopic point of view
  • Apply the laws of thermodynamics to real physical systems and processes
  • Describe the properties of ideal gases using Boltzmann statistics
  • Describe the differences between systems of bosons and fermions and how these arise from microscopic consideration

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		 2.00  12 weeks  24
On-campus
Class		 2.00  12 weeks  24
On-campus
Lab		 2.00  12 weeks  24
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		 5.50  12 weeks  66
Online
Learning Activities		 1.00 12 weeks 12
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 10 - 30% 1,2,3,4 
ExaminationIndividual 40 - 60% 1,2,3,4 
Laboratory Tutorial QuizzesIndividual 10 - 30% 1,2,3,4 

Hurdle

As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:

(i) an aggregate mark of 50% or more, and(ii) at least 40% in the final exam, and(iii) Obtain at least 40% of the possible marks for the laboratory. Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) and (iii) will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.

Content

  • Energy in Thermal Physics
  • Second Law of Thermodynamics
  • Interacting systems
  • Free Energy, Work and Chemical Thermodynamics
  • Boltzmann statistics
  • Bose and Fermi systems
  • Interacting quantum systems

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.