Physical Chemistry 2 Quiz: Partition Function

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Partition FunctionQuestion 1 of 20

The canonical partition function for a system is $Z = \sum_i g_i e^{-E_i/kT}$ , where $g_i$ is the degeneracy of energy level $E_i$ . If the ground state energy is shifted by adding a constant $E_0$ to all energy levels, how does this affect the average energy $\langle E \rangle$ and heat capacity $C_V$ of the system?

\langle E \rangle

increases by

E_0

and

C_V

increases by

E_0/T

because both depend directly on absolute energies

\langle E \rangle

decreases by

E_0

and

C_V

remains unchanged because heat capacity depends only on energy differences

\langle E \rangle

increases by

E_0

and

C_V

remains unchanged because heat capacity measures energy fluctuations, not absolute values

\langle E \rangle

remains unchanged and

C_V

increases by

E_0

because the partition function normalization cancels the energy shift

\langle E \rangle

increases by

E_0

and

C_V

decreases by

E_0/T

because the energy shift affects the temperature dependence

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Physical Chemistry 2 Quiz

Physical Chemistry 2 Quiz: Partition Function

Practice Partition Function in Physical Chemistry 2 with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Partition Function, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Physical Chemistry 2.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

$\langle E \rangle$ increases by $E_0$ and $C_V$ increases by $E_0/T$ because both depend directly on absolute energies
$\langle E \rangle$ decreases by $E_0$ and $C_V$ remains unchanged because heat capacity depends only on energy differences
$\langle E \rangle$ increases by $E_0$ and $C_V$ remains unchanged because heat capacity measures energy fluctuations, not absolute values (correct answer)
$\langle E \rangle$ remains unchanged and $C_V$ increases by $E_0$ because the partition function normalization cancels the energy shift
$\langle E \rangle$ increases by $E_0$ and $C_V$ decreases by $E_0/T$ because the energy shift affects the temperature dependence

Explanation: When you encounter questions about energy shifts in statistical mechanics, focus on how different thermodynamic quantities respond to changes in the absolute energy scale versus energy differences. Let's analyze what happens when we add a constant

E_0

to all energy levels. The new partition function becomes

Z' = \sum_i g_i e^{-(E_i + E_0)/kT} = e^{-E_0/kT} \sum_i g_i e^{-E_i/kT} = e^{-E_0/kT} Z

. The average energy is

\langle E \rangle = -\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial \beta}

where

\beta = 1/kT

. With the shifted energies:

\langle E' \rangle = -\frac{\partial \ln Z'}{\partial \beta} = -\frac{\partial}{\partial \beta}[\ln Z - E_0/kT] = \langle E \rangle + E_0

. So the average energy increases by exactly

E_0

. The heat capacity is

C_V = \frac{\partial \langle E \rangle}{\partial T}

. Since

E_0

is just a constant,

\frac{\partial}{\partial T}(\langle E \rangle + E_0) = \frac{\partial \langle E \rangle}{\partial T}

, meaning

C_V

remains unchanged. Heat capacity measures how energy changes with temperature—it depends only on energy differences between states, not absolute values. Answer A incorrectly suggests

C_V

changes with the energy shift. Answer B gets the direction wrong for

\langle E \rangle

. Answer D incorrectly claims

\langle E \rangle

is unaffected and that

C_V

increases. Remember: average energy shifts with absolute energy changes, but heat capacity (an energy derivative) depends only on relative energy spacings between levels.

Question 2

For a quantum harmonic oscillator with energy levels $E_n = \hbar\omega(n + 1/2)$ , the partition function is $q = \frac{e^{-\hbar\omega/2kT}}{1 - e^{-\hbar\omega/kT}}$ . In the high temperature limit where $kT >> \hbar\omega$ , which expression best represents the limiting behavior of $q$ ?

$q \approx \frac{kT}{\hbar\omega}$ because the exponential terms can be linearized and the zero-point energy becomes negligible (correct answer)
$q \approx \frac{2kT}{\hbar\omega}$ because both the numerator and denominator contribute equally in the classical limit
$q \approx e^{-\hbar\omega/2kT}$ because the zero-point energy dominates even at high temperatures
$q \approx \frac{kT}{2\hbar\omega}$ because the classical equipartition theorem applies with reduced effective temperature
$q \approx 1 + \frac{kT}{\hbar\omega}$ because the ground state plus first-order correction dominates the sum

Explanation: When you encounter partition function problems involving temperature limits, the key is understanding how exponential terms behave when their arguments become small or large compared to 1. For the quantum harmonic oscillator partition function

q = \frac{e^{-\hbar\omega/2kT}}{1 - e^{-\hbar\omega/kT}}

, let's define

x = \hbar\omega/kT

. In the high temperature limit,

kT >> \hbar\omega

, so

x << 1

. This allows us to use the approximation

e^{-x} \approx 1 - x

for small

x

. The numerator becomes:

e^{-x/2} \approx 1 - x/2

The denominator becomes:

1 - e^{-x} \approx 1 - (1-x) = x

Therefore:

q \approx \frac{1 - x/2}{x} = \frac{1}{x} - \frac{1}{2} \approx \frac{1}{x} = \frac{kT}{\hbar\omega}

This confirms answer A is correct - the linearization of exponentials leads to the classical result where the zero-point energy contribution (the

-1/2

term) becomes negligible. Answer B incorrectly includes an extra factor of 2, likely from mishandling the approximations. Answer C suggests the zero-point energy dominates, which contradicts the high-temperature premise where thermal energy overwhelms quantum effects. Answer D has the wrong denominator and mentions "reduced effective temperature," which isn't relevant here. Remember: in high-temperature limits for quantum systems, always check if you can linearize exponentials with

e^{-x} \approx 1-x

when

x << 1

. This typically recovers classical behavior where

kT

appears in the numerator.

Question 3

The rotational partition function for a diatomic molecule is $q_{rot} = \sum_{J=0}^{\infty} (2J+1) e^{-BJ(J+1)hc/kT}$ , where $B$ is the rotational constant. For $^{16}O_2$ at room temperature, which approximation is most appropriate and why?

Classical approximation $q_{rot} \approx \frac{kT}{2Bhc}$ because rotational energy levels are closely spaced compared to $kT$
Quantum treatment is essential because $^{16}O_2$ has nuclear spin statistics that forbid certain rotational levels
Classical approximation fails because the molecule is homonuclear and requires consideration of exchange symmetry
Low-temperature approximation $q_{rot} \approx 1 + 3e^{-2Bhc/kT}$ because only the first few levels are populated
The summation must include nuclear spin weights because oxygen nuclei affect the rotational state populations significantly (correct answer)

Explanation: When evaluating rotational partition functions, you need to determine whether the rotational energy level spacing is large or small compared to the thermal energy

kT

. This depends on the rotational constant

B

and temperature. For

^{16}O_2

at room temperature, the rotational constant is relatively small (

B \approx 1.44 \text{ cm}^{-1}

), meaning rotational energy levels are closely spaced. Since

kT

at room temperature corresponds to about 200 cm

^{-1}

, we have

kT \gg Bhc

. When many rotational levels are populated, the discrete quantum sum can be approximated by a continuous integral, leading to the classical result

q_{rot} \approx \frac{kT}{2Bhc}

. This makes option A correct. Option B incorrectly suggests nuclear spin statistics is the primary consideration here. While

^{16}O_2

does have spin statistics that affect relative populations of odd/even

J

levels, this doesn't prevent using the classical approximation when

kT \gg Bhc

. Option C confuses the issue by implying exchange symmetry prevents classical treatment. Exchange symmetry affects which levels are allowed, but doesn't determine whether classical approximation is valid - that depends solely on the energy spacing relative to

kT

. Option D suggests a low-temperature approximation, which would only apply when

kT \ll Bhc

. This is opposite to the actual situation for

O_2

at room temperature. Remember: when

kT

greatly exceeds the quantum energy spacing (

Bhc

for rotation,

h\nu

for vibration), classical approximations become valid because many quantum states are populated.

Question 4

Consider a system where the molecular partition function can be factored as $q = q_{trans} \cdot q_{rot} \cdot q_{vib} \cdot q_{elec}$ . If $q_{trans} = 10^{28}$ , $q_{rot} = 100$ , $q_{vib} = 1.05$ , and $q_{elec} = 2$ , what is the most significant contribution to the molar entropy at this temperature?

Electronic contribution dominates because $S_{elec} = R\ln(2)$ represents accessible microstates per molecule
Translational contribution dominates because $S_{trans} \propto R\ln(q_{trans})$ and $q_{trans}$ is by far the largest (correct answer)
Rotational contribution dominates because $q_{rot}$ has intermediate magnitude and represents the most accessible internal degrees of freedom
Vibrational contribution is negligible because $q_{vib} \approx 1$ indicates frozen vibrational modes at this temperature
All contributions are equally important because entropy is an extensive property that adds contributions from each mode

Explanation: When you encounter molecular partition functions, remember that entropy contributions are directly proportional to the logarithm of each partition function component:

S = R\ln(q) + \text{other terms}

. The magnitude of

\ln(q)

determines which contribution dominates the total entropy. Let's calculate the logarithmic contributions. For translation:

\ln(10^{28}) = 28\ln(10) \approx 64.4

. For rotation:

\ln(100) \approx 4.6

. For vibration:

\ln(1.05) \approx 0.05

. For electronics:

\ln(2) \approx 0.69

. The translational contribution absolutely dwarfs all others, making it the dominant entropy source. Option A incorrectly suggests that electronic entropy dominates. While

S_{elec} = R\ln(2)

is correct, this contribution (

\approx 0.69R

) is tiny compared to the translational term (

\approx 64.4R

). Option C misunderstands entropy scaling—even though rotation represents internal motion, its moderate

q_{rot}

value means its entropy contribution is still much smaller than translation. Option D correctly identifies that vibrational modes are nearly frozen (

q_{vib} \approx 1

), but this doesn't make vibration the dominant contribution—it actually confirms vibration contributes negligibly. Study tip: When comparing entropy contributions from partition functions, always compare

\ln(q)

values, not the raw

q

values themselves. Translation typically dominates at normal temperatures because molecular motion in three-dimensional space creates an enormous number of accessible microstates. Look for the partition function with the largest logarithm—that's usually your entropy winner.

Question 5

For a gas of $N$ indistinguishable particles, the relationship between the canonical partition function $Z$ and the molecular partition function $q$ depends on whether quantum effects are important. Which condition determines when $Z = q^N/N!$ rather than $Z = q^N$ ?

When the thermal de Broglie wavelength $\lambda = h/\sqrt{2\pi mkT}$ becomes comparable to the average interparticle distance (correct answer)
When the temperature is low enough that vibrational and rotational modes are not fully excited
When particle interactions become significant compared to kinetic energy, requiring correction for indistinguishability
When the system density is high enough that quantum mechanical tunneling between particle positions occurs
When the Pauli exclusion principle applies because particles have half-integer spin values

Explanation: This question tests your understanding of when quantum indistinguishability effects become important for identical particles in statistical mechanics. The key insight is that indistinguishability corrections (the

N!

factor) are needed when particles are close enough that their quantum wavefunctions overlap significantly. This happens when the thermal de Broglie wavelength

\lambda = h/\sqrt{2\pi mkT}

becomes comparable to the average interparticle distance. When

\lambda

is much smaller than interparticle spacing, particles behave classically and

Z = q^N

. But when

\lambda

approaches the interparticle distance, quantum indistinguishability requires the correction

Z = q^N/N!

to avoid overcounting identical microstates. Choice A is correct because it identifies the precise physical condition - the thermal de Broglie wavelength becoming comparable to interparticle distance - that determines when quantum indistinguishability matters. Choice B incorrectly focuses on internal molecular degrees of freedom (vibration/rotation), which affect the molecular partition function

q

itself but don't determine when indistinguishability corrections apply. Choice C mentions particle interactions, but indistinguishability is a purely quantum statistical effect that occurs even for non-interacting particles when their wavefunctions overlap. Choice D refers to quantum tunneling between positions, which isn't the relevant quantum effect here - indistinguishability comes from wavefunction overlap, not tunneling. Remember: The

N!

correction appears when quantum mechanics makes identical particles truly indistinguishable, which happens when their thermal de Broglie wavelengths overlap at typical interparticle separations.

Question 6

A system has energy levels $E_n = n\epsilon$ (where $n = 0, 1, 2, ...$ ) with degeneracy $g_n = 2n + 1$ . If the system is in contact with a heat bath at temperature $T$ , what is the most probable energy level when $kT = 2\epsilon$ ?

$n = 0$ because the ground state always has the highest probability due to the Boltzmann factor
$n = 1$ because the degeneracy factor $g_1 = 3$ overcomes the modest energy penalty at this temperature
$n = 2$ because the balance between degeneracy $(g_2 = 5)$ and Boltzmann factor $e^{-4\epsilon/kT}$ is optimized (correct answer)
$n = 3$ because higher degeneracy $g_3 = 7$ dominates despite the exponential energy cost
$n = 4$ because the linear increase in degeneracy eventually overcomes the exponential energy dependence

Explanation: When you encounter a problem about the most probable energy level in thermal equilibrium, you need to consider both the Boltzmann factor (which favors lower energies) and degeneracy (which favors higher multiplicities). The probability of finding the system in level

n

is proportional to

g_n e^{-E_n/kT}

. Let's calculate this probability factor for each level with

kT = 2\epsilon

$n = 0$ : $g_0 e^{-0} = 1 \times 1 = 1$
$n = 1$ : $g_1 e^{-\epsilon/2\epsilon} = 3 \times e^{-0.5} = 3 \times 0.607 = 1.82$
$n = 2$ : $g_2 e^{-2\epsilon/2\epsilon} = 5 \times e^{-1} = 5 \times 0.368 = 1.84$
$n = 3$ : $g_3 e^{-3\epsilon/2\epsilon} = 7 \times e^{-1.5} = 7 \times 0.223 = 1.56$

The maximum occurs at

n = 2

, confirming answer C is correct. Option A incorrectly assumes the ground state is always most probable—this ignores degeneracy effects that can overcome the Boltzmann preference for low energy. Option B stops too early; while

n = 1

does have significant probability, the calculation shows

n = 2

is slightly higher. Option D overestimates the degeneracy benefit—the exponential energy penalty at

n = 3

outweighs the increased degeneracy. Study tip: For thermal distribution problems, always calculate the full expression

g_n e^{-E_n/kT}

rather than considering energy or degeneracy alone. The most probable level balances both factors and often isn't the ground state when degeneracy increases with energy.

Question 7

For a gas mixture of $N_A$ molecules of type A and $N_B$ molecules of type B, the total canonical partition function is $Z = \frac{q_A^{N_A} q_B^{N_B}}{N_A! N_B!}$ . What thermodynamic quantity is directly related to $\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial N_A}$ at constant $T$ , $V$ , and $N_B$ ?

The chemical potential $\mu_A$ because this derivative gives the change in free energy per added particle of type A (correct answer)
The partial molar volume $\bar{V}_A$ because the partition function depends on the available volume per particle
The activity coefficient $\gamma_A$ because this measures deviations from ideal mixing in the partition function
The heat capacity $C_{V,A}$ because this derivative measures energy fluctuations for component A
The entropy $S_A$ because the logarithm of the partition function is directly related to entropy

Explanation: When you encounter questions about partial derivatives of the canonical partition function, you're dealing with fundamental statistical mechanics relationships that connect microscopic partition functions to macroscopic thermodynamic properties. The key insight is recognizing that

\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial N_A}

at constant

T

V

, and

N_B

directly gives you the chemical potential of component A. This comes from the fundamental thermodynamic relation

\mu_A = -k_BT \frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial N_A}

, where the chemical potential represents the change in Helmholtz free energy per particle added. Since

F = -k_BT \ln Z

, taking the partial derivative with respect to

N_A

yields

\frac{\partial F}{\partial N_A} = \mu_A

. Answer A correctly identifies this relationship. Answer B is incorrect because partial molar volume relates to

\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial V}

, not

\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial N_A}

. The volume derivative would give you pressure-related information. Answer C confuses the issue by invoking activity coefficients, which account for non-ideal behavior but aren't directly obtained from this particular derivative of the partition function. Answer D misidentifies the thermodynamic quantity entirely. Heat capacity relates to temperature derivatives of energy (

\frac{\partial^2 \ln Z}{\partial T^2}

), not particle number derivatives. Study tip: Memorize the key statistical mechanics derivatives:

\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial T}

gives energy information,

\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial V}

gives pressure, and

\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial N}

gives chemical potential. These relationships are foundational for connecting statistical mechanics to thermodynamics.

Question 8

A linear molecule has rotational constant $B = 1.5 \text{ cm}^{-1}$ and vibrational frequency $\nu = 2000 \text{ cm}^{-1}$ . At $T = 300 \text{ K}$ , which statement about the molecular partition function factorization $q = q_{trans} \cdot q_{rot} \cdot q_{vib} \cdot q_{elec}$ is most accurate?

The factorization is exact because translation, rotation, vibration, and electronic motions are completely independent
The factorization is approximate because vibration-rotation coupling creates cross-terms that are neglected (correct answer)
The factorization fails because the Born-Oppenheimer approximation breaks down at room temperature
The factorization is valid only because $kT$ is much larger than the rotational energy spacing
The factorization requires that all vibrational modes be in their ground states at this temperature

Explanation: When you encounter questions about molecular partition functions, you're dealing with statistical mechanics and the fundamental assumption that different types of molecular motion can be treated separately. The partition function factorization

q = q_{trans} \cdot q_{rot} \cdot q_{vib} \cdot q_{elec}

relies on the assumption that translational, rotational, vibrational, and electronic energies are additive and independent. However, this is an approximation. In reality, molecular vibrations affect the moment of inertia and thus the rotational energy levels - this is called vibration-rotation coupling. As molecules vibrate, their bond lengths oscillate, changing the rotational constant

B

. This creates cross-terms in the energy expression that the simple factorization neglects. Option A is incorrect because complete independence is an idealization - real molecules always exhibit some coupling between vibrational and rotational motions. Option C misapplies the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, which separates electronic and nuclear motion and remains valid at room temperature for most molecules. Option D incorrectly suggests the factorization depends on the relationship between

kT

and rotational spacing; while

kT >> hcB

affects how we calculate

q_{rot}

, it doesn't determine whether factorization is valid. The correct answer is B because vibration-rotation coupling creates energy terms that depend on both vibrational and rotational quantum numbers, violating the independence assumption underlying the factorization. Study tip: Remember that partition function factorization is always an approximation in real molecules - look for coupling effects between different types of motion when evaluating its validity.

Question 9

Consider a two-dimensional system of $N$ non-interacting particles in a square box of area $A = L^2$ . The single-particle translational partition function is $q_{trans,2D} = \frac{2\pi mkT A}{h^2}$ . What is the pressure $P$ of this 2D gas?

$P = \frac{NkT}{A}$ because the 2D ideal gas law is analogous to the 3D version with area replacing volume (correct answer)
$P = \frac{NkT}{2A}$ because there are only two translational degrees of freedom instead of three
$P = \frac{2NkT}{A}$ because the equipartition theorem contributes $kT/2$ per degree of freedom in each direction
$P = \frac{NkT}{\pi A}$ because the circular boundary conditions modify the effective available area
$P = \frac{3NkT}{2A}$ because the translational kinetic energy is $\frac{3}{2}kT$ per particle even in 2D

Explanation: When working with statistical mechanics problems involving partition functions, you need to connect the microscopic partition function to macroscopic thermodynamic properties using fundamental relationships. The key relationship here is that pressure can be derived from the partition function using

P = \frac{1}{\beta} \frac{\partial \ln Q}{\partial V}

, where

Q

is the total partition function and

\beta = \frac{1}{kT}

. For a 2D system, volume is replaced by area

A

. For

N

non-interacting particles, the total partition function is

Q = \frac{q^N}{N!}

. Taking the natural log and differentiating with respect to area:

\ln Q = N \ln q - \ln N!

. Since

q_{trans,2D} \propto A

, we have

\frac{\partial \ln q}{\partial A} = \frac{1}{A}

. Therefore:

P = \frac{1}{\beta} N \frac{\partial \ln q}{\partial A} = NkT \frac{1}{A} = \frac{NkT}{A}

. This confirms that A is correct - the 2D ideal gas law is directly analogous to the 3D version, with area replacing volume. B is wrong because the factor of 2 reduction misapplies dimensional counting - pressure derivation doesn't simply scale by the number of dimensions. C incorrectly applies equipartition theorem to pressure calculation, confusing energy contributions with pressure relationships. D introduces an arbitrary

\pi

factor assuming circular geometry, but the problem specifies a square box, and the partition function already accounts for the correct geometry. Remember: when deriving thermodynamic properties from partition functions, use the fundamental thermodynamic derivatives - don't guess based on dimensional arguments alone.

Question 10

A diatomic molecule has vibrational frequency $\nu = 1000 \text{ cm}^{-1}$ and rotational constant $B = 2 \text{ cm}^{-1}$ . At $T = 300 \text{ K}$ , which statement about the relative magnitudes of the partition function contributions is most accurate?

$q_{vib} > q_{rot} > q_{trans}$ because vibrational states have the highest degeneracy at this temperature
$q_{trans} > q_{rot} > q_{vib}$ because translational motion is least quantized and vibrational levels are widely spaced (correct answer)
$q_{rot} > q_{vib} > q_{trans}$ because rotational levels have moderate spacing and high degeneracy
$q_{vib} > q_{trans} > q_{rot}$ because vibrational quantum numbers can be very large at room temperature
$q_{trans} > q_{vib} > q_{rot}$ because molecular translation dominates over internal motions at high temperatures

Explanation: When analyzing partition functions for diatomic molecules, you need to consider how quantum level spacing compares to thermal energy at the given temperature. The key is understanding that smaller energy gaps between quantum states lead to larger partition functions because more states are thermally accessible. Let's calculate each contribution at 300 K. For vibrations, the characteristic temperature is

\theta_{vib} = h\nu/k = 1440

K, making

\theta_{vib}/T = 4.8

. This gives

q_{vib} \approx 1.08

since vibrational levels are widely spaced compared to thermal energy. For rotations,

\theta_{rot} = hcB/k = 2.9

K, so

\theta_{rot}/T = 0.01

, yielding

q_{rot} \approx T/\theta_{rot} = 103

. Translational partition functions are enormous (typically

10^{28}

for gas molecules) because translational energy levels are essentially continuous. The correct ordering is

q_{trans} > q_{rot} > q_{vib}

(answer B) because translational motion has the smallest quantum spacing, rotational levels have moderate spacing, and vibrational levels are most widely spaced relative to

kT

. Answer A incorrectly assumes vibrational states dominate - they actually contribute least due to large energy gaps. Answer C wrongly places rotational above translational, ignoring that translational levels are nearly continuous. Answer D misunderstands vibrational behavior at room temperature - most molecules remain in the ground vibrational state. Remember: partition functions increase as quantum level spacing decreases relative to thermal energy. At room temperature, this typically gives the hierarchy translation > rotation > vibration for molecular motion.

Question 11

For a particle in a three-dimensional harmonic potential $V(x,y,z) = \frac{1}{2}m\omega^2(x^2 + y^2 + z^2)$ , the energy levels are $E_{n_x,n_y,n_z} = \hbar\omega(n_x + n_y + n_z + \frac{3}{2})$ . What is the degeneracy of the energy level with total quantum number $n = n_x + n_y + n_z = 2$ ?

3 because there are three spatial dimensions and each can contribute to the total quantum number
6 because the quantum numbers can be distributed as (2,0,0), (0,2,0), (0,0,2), (1,1,0), (1,0,1), (0,1,1) (correct answer)
9 because there are $3^2$ ways to distribute 2 quanta among 3 oscillators with repetition allowed
4 because this is the number of distinct partitions of the integer 2 into at most 3 non-negative parts
8 because each of the three oscillators can be in either ground or excited state, giving $2^3$ combinations

Explanation: When you encounter degeneracy problems in quantum mechanics, you're looking for how many distinct quantum states share the same energy. For a 3D harmonic oscillator, states with the same total quantum number

n = n_x + n_y + n_z

have identical energies. To find the degeneracy for

n = 2

, you need to count all possible ways to distribute 2 quanta among three quantum numbers

(n_x, n_y, n_z)

, where each must be a non-negative integer. Let's systematically list them:

Ways to put all 2 quanta in one dimension: (2,0,0), (0,2,0), (0,0,2) — that's 3 states
Ways to split the quanta as 1+1+0: (1,1,0), (1,0,1), (0,1,1) — that's 3 more states

Total: 6 distinct states, confirming answer B. Now for the wrong answers: A incorrectly assumes degeneracy equals the number of dimensions, missing that quantum numbers can be distributed in multiple ways. C applies the wrong combinatorial formula —

3^2

counts ordered arrangements where each position can take any value from 0 to 2, which doesn't respect the constraint that values must sum to 2. D mentions "partitions," which is conceptually related but gives the wrong count because it doesn't account for the different ways to assign the same partition to the three dimensions (for example, the partition 1+1+0 can be arranged as (1,1,0), (1,0,1), or (0,1,1)). Study tip: For degeneracy problems, always systematically enumerate the states rather than trying to apply a formula. List all valid combinations of quantum numbers that satisfy your constraints.

Question 12

For a system of identical, non-interacting particles at temperature $T$ , the molecular partition function is $q = 50$ . If the temperature is doubled while keeping all other parameters constant, and assuming the translational contribution dominates, what is the new molecular partition function?

$q = 100$
$q = 25$
$q = 141$ (correct answer)
$q = 200$
$q = 71$

Explanation: This question tests your understanding of how molecular partition functions depend on temperature, particularly for translational motion. When you encounter partition function problems, always consider how each type of molecular motion (translational, rotational, vibrational) scales differently with temperature. For translational motion, the molecular partition function has the form

q_{trans} = \left(\frac{2\pi mkT}{h^2}\right)^{3/2}V

, which shows that

q_{trans} \propto T^{3/2}

. Since the problem states that translational contributions dominate, we can apply this scaling relationship. If the initial partition function is

q_1 = 50

at temperature

T

, then at temperature

2T

, the new partition function becomes:

q_2 = q_1 \times (2)^{3/2} = 50 \times 2^{1.5} = 50 \times 2.828 = 141

This confirms that answer C (

q = 141

) is correct. Looking at the wrong answers: A (

q = 100

) assumes a linear relationship with temperature (

2 \times 50

), which would be incorrect since partition functions don't scale linearly with

T

. B (

q = 25

) represents an inverse relationship, which is backwards. D (

q = 200

) assumes

q \propto T^2

, which would apply if rotational motion dominated instead of translational. Remember this key relationship: translational partition functions scale as

T^{3/2}

, rotational as

T

(for linear molecules) or

T^{3/2}

(for nonlinear), and vibrational contributions are more complex. Always identify which type of motion dominates before applying temperature scaling rules.

Question 13

The vibrational partition function for a diatomic molecule is $q_{vib} = \frac{1}{1-e^{-\theta_v/T}}$ where $\theta_v = h\nu/k$ is the vibrational temperature. For CO with $\theta_v = 3103 \text{ K}$ , at what temperature does $q_{vib} = 1.5$ ?

$T = 1552 \text{ K}$ because this is exactly half the vibrational temperature
$T = 2825 \text{ K}$ because $q_{vib} = 1.5$ requires substantial thermal population of the first excited state (correct answer)
$T = 4475 \text{ K}$ because high temperature is needed to overcome the large vibrational energy spacing
$T = 3103 \text{ K}$ because $q_{vib} = 1.5$ occurs when $T = \theta_v$
$T = 2070 \text{ K}$ because the exponential dependence requires temperatures well above $\theta_v/2$

Explanation: When you encounter vibrational partition function problems, you're dealing with how molecular energy levels become populated as temperature increases. The key insight is that

q_{vib}

represents the effective number of accessible vibrational states. To find when

q_{vib} = 1.5

, you need to solve:

1.5 = \frac{1}{1-e^{-3103/T}}

Rearranging:

1 - e^{-3103/T} = \frac{1}{1.5} = 0.667

Therefore:

e^{-3103/T} = 0.333

Taking the natural logarithm:

-\frac{3103}{T} = \ln(0.333) = -1.099

Solving for T:

T = \frac{3103}{1.099} = 2825 \text{ K}

This temperature makes physical sense because

q_{vib} = 1.5

means you have significant population in the first excited vibrational state beyond the ground state. Answer A incorrectly assumes a simple proportional relationship that doesn't exist in the exponential partition function. Answer C overestimates the required temperature - while vibrational spacings are large, you don't need extremely high temperatures to reach

q_{vib} = 1.5

. Answer D incorrectly suggests that

q_{vib} = 1.5

occurs at

T = \theta_v

, but at this temperature

q_{vib}

would actually be about 1.58. Remember that partition functions involve exponential relationships with temperature, so you can't use simple proportional reasoning. Always set up the equation and solve algebraically, keeping in mind that

q_{vib} > 1

indicates thermal population of excited vibrational states.

Question 14

A system has a partition function $Z(T,V,N) = f(T)^N V^N$ where $f(T)$ is some function of temperature only. Using the relation $P = kT \frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial V}$ , what is the equation of state for this system?

$PV = NkT$ representing ideal gas behavior independent of the specific form of $f(T)$ (correct answer)
$PV = NkT \cdot f(T)$ showing temperature-dependent deviations from ideal gas behavior
$P = \frac{NkT}{V} + \frac{Nf'(T)}{f(T)}$ including both volume and temperature-dependent corrections
$PV^N = NkT$ representing a polytropic process with variable heat capacity effects

Explanation: From

Z = f(T)^N V^N

, we get

\ln Z = N\ln f(T) + N\ln V

. Taking the partial derivative:

\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial V} = \frac{N}{V}

. Therefore,

P = kT \frac{N}{V}

, which gives

PV = NkT

. The function

f(T)

affects thermodynamic properties like energy and heat capacity but not the equation of state, since only the volume dependence matters for pressure. Choices B and C incorrectly include

f(T)

terms. Choice D has incorrect volume dependence.

Question 15

A diatomic molecule has vibrational and rotational degrees of freedom. If the vibrational partition function is $Z_{vib} = \frac{1}{1-e^{-\theta_v/T}}$ and the rotational partition function is $Z_{rot} = \frac{T}{\theta_r}$ , what happens to the total molecular partition function when the temperature is doubled from $T$ to $2T$ ?

The total partition function increases by exactly a factor of 2 due to linear temperature dependence
The total partition function increases by more than a factor of 2 due to vibrational contributions becoming significant (correct answer)
The total partition function increases by less than a factor of 2 due to saturation effects in rotation
The total partition function increases by exactly a factor of 4 due to quadratic temperature dependence

Explanation:

Z_{total} = Z_{vib} \times Z_{rot}

. When T doubles:

Z_{rot}

doubles (linear in T), but

Z_{vib}

increases by more than a factor of 2 because

\frac{1}{1-e^{-\theta_v/2T}} > 2 \times \frac{1}{1-e^{-\theta_v/T}}

when

\theta_v/T

is significant. Choice A ignores vibrational temperature dependence. Choice C incorrectly suggests saturation. Choice D assumes both are quadratic in T.

Question 16

For a system with partition function $Z = N^3 T^{3/2}$ where $N$ is the number of particles, the entropy calculated from $S = k\ln(\Omega)$ using the Boltzmann relation differs from that calculated using $S = k(\ln Z + T\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial T})$ . What is the primary reason for this discrepancy?

The given partition function violates the equipartition theorem for translational motion in three dimensions
The Boltzmann entropy formula requires correction for quantum mechanical indistinguishability of identical particles
The partition function should include a factor of $N!$ in the denominator to account for particle exchange symmetry (correct answer)
The thermodynamic entropy formula is only valid for systems in thermal equilibrium at constant volume

Explanation: The discrepancy arises because the given partition function doesn't account for the indistinguishability of identical particles. The correct partition function should be

Z = \frac{N^3 T^{3/2}}{N!}

for distinguishable arrangements. Without the

N!

correction, the entropy calculated from

S = k(\ln Z + T\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial T})

overcounts microstates. Choice A is incorrect as the temperature dependence is correct. Choice B confuses the issue. Choice D is irrelevant to the discrepancy.

Question 17

For a system where the partition function can be factorized as $Z = Z_1 \times Z_2$ , representing two independent subsystems, which statement correctly describes the relationship between the total entropy and the individual entropies?

$S_{total} = S_1 + S_2$ because entropy is always additive for independent subsystems in thermal equilibrium (correct answer)
$S_{total} = S_1 + S_2 + k\ln(N!)$ where the correction term accounts for particle exchange between subsystems
$S_{total} = S_1 \times S_2$ because the partition function factorizes multiplicatively for independent systems
$S_{total} = S_1 + S_2 - k\ln(Z_1 Z_2)$ to correct for overcounting of combined microstates

Explanation: When

Z = Z_1 Z_2

for independent subsystems,

\ln Z = \ln Z_1 + \ln Z_2

, and since

S = k(\ln Z + T\frac{\partial \ln Z}{\partial T})

, we get

S_{total} = S_1 + S_2

. This is the fundamental property of entropy additivity for independent systems. Choice B incorrectly adds a factorial correction inappropriate here. Choice C confuses multiplicative partition functions with multiplicative entropy (wrong). Choice D introduces an incorrect overcounting correction.

Question 18

A molecular system has translational, rotational, and vibrational partition functions. If the translational partition function varies as $T^{3/2}$ , rotational as $T$ , and vibrational approaches a constant at low temperatures, what is the temperature dependence of the heat capacity $C_V$ in the low-temperature limit?

$C_V \propto T^{3/2}$ dominated by the translational contribution to thermal energy fluctuations
$C_V \propto T^2$ due to the combined effects of rotational and translational degrees of freedom
$C_V \propto \text{constant}$ because vibrational modes are frozen out and only translation contributes (correct answer)
$C_V \propto e^{-\theta_v/T}$ due to exponential activation of vibrational modes at low temperatures

Explanation:

C_V = k\beta^2 \frac{\partial^2 \ln Z}{\partial \beta^2}

. For translation (

Z \propto T^{3/2}

), this gives constant

\frac{3}{2}k

. For rotation (

Z \propto T

), this gives constant

k

. Vibrational contribution is negligible at low T. Total:

C_V = \frac{3}{2}k + k = \frac{5}{2}k

(constant). Choice A confuses partition function dependence with heat capacity. Choice B incorrectly derives temperature dependence. Choice D correctly identifies vibrational behavior but misses that this is negligible at low T.

Question 19

Consider two identical systems, each with partition function $Z_{single}$ . When these systems are brought into thermal contact but remain physically separate (no particle exchange), the total partition function of the combined system is $Z_{total} = (Z_{single})^2$ . However, if the systems are allowed to mix completely, what correction must be applied?

$Z_{mixed} = \frac{(Z_{single})^2}{2!}$ to account for the indistinguishability of the two identical systems
$Z_{mixed} = \frac{(Z_{single})^2}{(N!)^2}$ where $N$ is the number of particles in each system
$Z_{mixed} = (Z_{single})^2$ because mixing does not affect the partition function when systems are identical
$Z_{mixed} = \frac{(Z_{single})^2}{(2N)!} \times (N!)^2$ accounting for all possible particle arrangements in the mixed state (correct answer)

Explanation: When dealing with identical systems that can exchange particles, you're working with indistinguishable particles in statistical mechanics. The key insight is understanding how particle indistinguishability affects the counting of microstates. Initially, when systems are separate, each maintains its own particle identity within its boundary, so

Z_{total} = (Z_{single})^2

. However, when mixing occurs, all particles become indistinguishable in the combined system. This creates a fundamental counting problem: the partition function must account for the fact that swapping any two identical particles doesn't create a new microstate. For the mixed system, you start with

(Z_{single})^2

configurations, but now all

2N

particles are indistinguishable in the combined volume. The classical partition function overcounts by a factor of

(2N)!

because it treats each particle as distinguishable. However, you must restore the original separate-system counting for particles within their original groups, multiplying by

(N!)^2

. This gives

Z_{mixed} = \frac{(Z_{single})^2}{(2N)!} \times (N!)^2

, making D correct. Option A incorrectly treats the systems themselves as indistinguishable rather than the particles. Option B applies the indistinguishability correction to each system separately, ignoring that mixing creates one combined system. Option C misses the fundamental point that particle indistinguishability always affects partition functions when mixing occurs. Remember: whenever particles can exchange between previously separate regions, apply the indistinguishability correction to the total number of particles in the combined system, not to the individual subsystems.

Question 20

For a two-level system with energy levels at 0 and $\varepsilon$ , the partition function is $Z = 1 + e^{-\varepsilon/kT}$ . If the temperature is increased such that $kT = 2\varepsilon$ , what fraction of molecules will occupy the upper energy level?

$\frac{1}{1 + e^{1/2}} \approx 0.378$
$\frac{e^{-1/2}}{1 + e^{-1/2}} \approx 0.378$ (correct answer)
$\frac{1}{2} = 0.500$
$\frac{e^{1/2}}{1 + e^{1/2}} \approx 0.622$

Explanation: The fraction of molecules in the upper level is given by the Boltzmann distribution:

P_1 = \frac{e^{-\varepsilon/kT}}{Z}

. With

kT = 2\varepsilon

, we have

\varepsilon/kT = 1/2

, so

P_1 = \frac{e^{-1/2}}{1 + e^{-1/2}} \approx 0.378

. Choice A incorrectly uses the denominator as numerator. Choice C assumes equal population (infinite temperature limit). Choice D uses positive exponent, confusing upper and lower levels.