|
Session:
|
|
|
Title:
|
Recent Developments in Teaching Statistical Physics
|
|
Meeting:
|
129th AAPT National Meeting: Sacramento, CA |
|
Location:
|
Union Ballroom I |
|
Date:
|
Tuesday, Aug. 3 |
|
Time:
|
8:00AM
|
|
Author:
|
Harvey Gould, Clark Univ.
508-793-7485, hgould@clarku.edu
|
|
Co-Author(s):
|
Jan Tobochnik
|
|
Abstract:
|
Statistical and thermal physics has been a neglected area in the undergraduate physics curriculum until recently. However, this situation is changing due in part to the importance of statistical concepts in much of current physics research and related areas. This talk will describe some current efforts to develop curriculum materials and new textbooks for teaching topics in statistical and thermal physics, and the use of computer simulations to provide concrete models of thermal systems and concrete applications of abstract ideas such as thermal averages, entropy, probability distributions, and the density of states.
|
|
Footnotes:
|
None
|
|
