Welcome to Statistical & Thermal Physics! Combined Physics 4302 (undergraduate Statistical & Thermal) & Physics (graduate Statistical & Thermal for grad students who need an undergrad review)

In this course, among the many other very important & useful physics concepts we will discuss, you will learn why the electrical arrangement in the figure on the next slide will not work!!!

The arrangement in the figure will not work due to both The First Law of Thermodynamics and The Second Law of Thermodynamics!

First Law of Thermodynamics = Conservation of Total Energy. Second Law of Thermodynamics = Entropy must increase in any process. The arrangement in the figure will not work due to both The First Law of Thermodynamics and The Second Law of Thermodynamics!

Please Note & Use the Class Web Site! There, you will find: 1. Posted (Word format): Syllabus, Help Resources, Homework Assignments & Solutions, Old Exams & Solutions. 2. Posted (Power Point): Lectures 3. Posted: IMPORTANT Class Announcements & Calendar Items! 4. Posted: Other items relating to this class. PLEASE!! Get into the habit of checking this page often! Note: This website is under construction!!

Linked from the Physics 4302 Web Page is: The Announcement Page: Contains Class Announcements & Major Calendar Items. Please check it often!

Linked from the Physics 4302 Web Page is: The Announcement Page: Contains Class Announcements & Major Calendar Items. Please check it often! If you are interested, you might also check out My Web Page at:

Physics Distribution List! It is Important that that I have the correct address for you!!! I’ve construct an distribution list based on addresses from TTU Student Records. I’ll use it to make important class announcements!!! PLEASE: Check your OFTEN!!! Please tell me if you change your address! Thank You!!

Your Fellow Students!!! –An effective strategy is to work on homework & to study for exams together in a group. –This is how professionals work in the “real world”. Me (office hours or not!) The Internet!!! –There are LARGE numbers of Statistical Physics Help sites! Using Google & typing in “Statistical Physics Help” gives 19,600,000 hits!!!! The Class Web Page! –It exists primarily to be of help to you!! Where to Go for Help??

To Succeed in this Course See the document (downloadable from the webpage!): “How to Succeed in Statistical Physics by Really Trying”! READ the book(s), which cost you many $$$! It’s most effective to read the material BEFORE I lecture over it. WORK the assigned homework problems!! No looking at solutions from previous years or solutions found on the web! That is CHEATING! Copying solutions & being an expert at using Google to find problem solutions will NOT teach you physics! WORK extra problems!

COME TO CLASS!! There is a correlation between attendance & grades! Also, skipping means that you are WASTING the tuition & fees that you (or your someone) paid! With tuition & fees for a full-time student, each class meeting costs about $29. Each time you skip, you are throwing away $29. After a while this adds up! My lectures may not be entertaining or brilliant, but I do expose you to the material. ATTENDANCE!!! THE WEEKEND DOESN’T BEGIN THURSDAY (or end Monday)!!!! FRIDAY IS A CLASS DAY (as is Monday)!!! To Succeed in this Course

Extra Credit?

Hopefully, this isn’t you, because my answer will always be NO!!!