I am trying to calculate the entropy for a classical two dimensional free gas of 𝑁 particles in a box of side 𝐿 and total energy 𝐸.Using two methods, I obtain different scaling factors inside the logarithm of the number of microstates: Microcanonical Method (Direct Counting): Here, I compute the phase space volume directly with the energy constraint 𝐸.The number of microstates is given by: $$ \Omega=\frac{1}{N!}(\frac{1}{h^2}L^2\int_{0}^{\infty}d^2p)^N=\frac{1}{N!}(L^2E)^N $$.Here i kept $\frac{2\pi m}{h^2}=1$.To get the entropy we use Boltzman Law followed by stirling approximation and get $$S=K\ln\left(\frac{1}{N!} (L^2 E)^N\right)=Nk\ln\left(L^2E\right)-Nk\ln N +Nk\tag{1}$$ Canonical Partition Function Method: Here, I calculate the partition function at a fixed temperature 𝑇 as $$ Z=\frac{1}{N!}\left(\frac{2\pi m kT}{h^2}\right)^N$$ where T is related to the energy 𝐸 via $𝑇=\frac{𝐸}{𝑁k}$.Substituting this into the partition function yields$$Z=\frac{1}{N!}\left[\frac{L^2 E}{N}\right]^N$$ In short taking negative KT times natural log and then differentiating with respect to temperature with a minus sign we get entropy $$S =Nk\ln\left(\frac{L^2E}{N}\right)-Nk\ln N +Nk\tag{2}$$ From (1) and (2) we can see there is a difference in the solutions.Latter contains $\frac{1}{N}$ and the former doesnot contain.Can u help to me understand why there is a difference and which one is more precise?
Title: Why does the partition function method introduce a $\frac{1} {𝑁 }$ term while calculating entropy for a classical gas?
Suhail Sarwar
- 175
- 7