Entropy and the Tao of Counting: A Brief Introduction to Statistical Mechanics and the Second Law of Thermodynamics (SpringerBriefs in Physics)

Preface
Contents
1 Learning to Count
	1.1 A Simple Analogy
	1.2 Atoms Have Position and Velocity
	1.3 The Kinetic Energy of an Atom
	1.4 A Complexion of Atoms
	1.5 Boltzmann's Postulate
	1.6 Counting Complexions: Part 1
		1.6.1 A Single Atom
		1.6.2 Many Atoms
		1.6.3 The Effect of Heat on Velocity Complexions
		1.6.4 Accounting for Atoms with Different Masses
		1.6.5 The Meaning of Boltzmann's Equation
	1.7 Why Heat Flows from Hot to Cold
	1.8 Why Friction Slows Things Down
	1.9 Why Is the Number of Complexions So Large?
	1.10 Counting Complexions: Part 2
		1.10.1 Combining Spatial and Velocity Complexions
		1.10.2 The Total Number of Complexions
		1.10.3 Constant Temperature Conditions
2 What Is Entropy?
	2.1 The Statistical, Atomistic Definition of Entropy
	2.2 Entropy Maximization Explains Equilibrium Behavior
	2.3 The Maximum Entropy State for Gas, Mixtures and Solutes Is Uniform Density
	2.4 The Entropy of an Ideal Gas
	2.5 The Spatial Distribution of a Gas Under Gravity: The Barometric Equation
	2.6 The Distribution of Velocities at Equilibrium
		2.6.1 Evaporative Cooling
		2.6.2 Chemical Reactions
3 Entropy and Free Energy
	3.1 Separating Entropy into Spatial and Velocity Components
		3.1.1 The Gibbs-Einstein Equation for Entropy
	3.2 Entropy, Enthalpy and Work
		3.2.1 Connecting the Language of Entropy to the Language of Energetics
	3.3 Equilibrium Constants and Entropy
4 Entropic Forces
	4.1 Potential Energy and Forces
	4.2 Entropic Forces in a Gas
		4.2.1 Ideal Gas Pressure
		4.2.2 The Gas Cylinder as an Entropic Spring
		4.2.3 Osmotic Pressure
	4.3 Entropic Forces in Polymers
		4.3.1 A Weight Suspended by a Rubber Cord
	4.4 Maximum Entropy Is Equivalent to Minimum Free Energy
	4.5 The Hydrophobic Force
		4.5.1 Experimental Basis of the Hydrophobic Effect
		4.5.2 Mechanism of the Hydrophobic Effect
5 Summary
	5.1 The Ubiquitous Boltzmann Factor
	5.2 The Important Equations
	5.3 What About Quantum Mechanics?
	5.4 Modest Entropies but Very Very Large Numbers
	5.5 Different Interpretations of Entropy
		5.5.1 Entropy as Disorder
		5.5.2 Entropy as the Number of Microstates in a Macrostate
		5.5.3 Entropy as a Loss of Information
		5.5.4 Entropy as a Predictive Tool
		5.5.5 Entropy as the Number of Ways Something Can Happen
Appendix
	A.1 The Exponential and Logarithm Functions
	A.2 Mechanical Origins of the Ideal Gas Law
References
Index