Physics 4311: Thermal Physics – Test 2 Solution


Friday, April 10, 2026

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Problem 1: TD potentials and Maxwell relations (42 points)

a)

H = U fL,dH = TdS Ldf
F = U TS,dF = SdT + fdL
G = U TS fL,dG = SdT Ldf

b)

from U: (∂f ∂S )L = (∂T ∂L )S
from H: (∂L ∂S )f = (∂T ∂f )S
from F: (∂S ∂L )T = (∂f ∂T )L
from G: (∂S ∂f )T = (∂L ∂T )f

Problem 2: Stretching a rubber band (60 points)

a)

δW = fdL
ΔW =L02L0 fdL =L02L0 αLTdL = 3 2αTL02

b)

dU = δQ + δW, isothermal dU = 0, ΔQ = ΔW = 3 2αTL02

c)

dS = δQT, ΔS = ΔQT = 3 2αL02

Problem 3: Ideal refrigerator (48 points)

The heat egine, running backwards, must remove Qloss + QB from the low tempearture reservoir: Ql = Qloss + QB

Use (Qh + Ql)Qh = 1 TlTh QlQh = TlTh Qh = (ThTl)Ql

W = (Qh + Ql) = (Th Tl 1)Ql = (Th Tl 1)(Qloss + QB)

W = A(Th Tl)2 Tl + QBTh Tl Tl