Available online
Description
The programme provides a graphic discussion of the basic concepts involved in a derivation of the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution.
The programme provides a graphic discussion of the basic concepts involved in a derivation of the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution.
| Module code and title: | ST285, "Solids, liquids and gases" |
|---|---|
| Item code: | ST285; 04 |
| First transmission date: | 17-03-1973 |
| Published: | 1973 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:23:25 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Andrew Millington |
| Contributors: | Paul Clark; Alan WAlton |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Air table; Books; Bookshelves; Distribution of pucks; Energy distribution; Formal derivation; Phase space; Probability; Three dimensional gas; Two dimensional gas |
| Footage description: | Alan Walton with a graph showing an "energy distribution in a gas" curve. He introduces the programme. Paul Clark uses a bookshelf and five books to model the energy distribution in a gas. He shows diagrams of the 56 different ways in which the books can be arranged on the shelves He then counts the number of books which turn up at any level and plots these on a graph. The resulting curve is similar to the "energy distribution in a gas" curve. Alan Walton with an air cushion table on which pucks move more freely, simulating the movement of molecules in a gas. Multiple flash photographs of the moving pucks are used to determine their speed. Walton explains how this is done. Walton constructs vectors along the path of the pucks in the photograph. He superimposes energy rings around the energy of the moving particles. More photographs and vector/energy diagrams for the same particles are shown. Walton explains how one calculates the average number of particles which move with any given energy. He plots these values in the form of a histogram. Paul Clark with a larger bookshelf simulation which allows a greater number of permutations. He demonstrates the changed counting procedure. Alan Walton with a vector/energy ring diagram. The rings have been divided into a series of modules, each of the same size making the same number of modules at each energy level. Walton with a glass box containing several small balls. These simulate the movement of gas molecules in 3 dimensions. Walton shows the vector energy ring diagram for this model and demonstrates that the number of rings increases as the energy increases. Paul Clark with the bookshelf simulation again. He blocks off some of the modules so that their number increases as energy increases. He examines the effect of this on the permutations and then shows the vector/energy level diagrams. Clark plots a new curve for these values on a graph. This shows a peak very similar to that of an actual "energy distribution in a gas " curve as seen at the beginning of the programme. Now clearly the, Clark shows a curve obtained with an analogue of finer divisions than the bookshelf. This simulation comes closer and closer to the actual curve. Walton sums up. |
| Master spool number: | 6HT/70276 |
| Production number: | 00521_2178 |
| Videofinder number: | 681 |
| Available to public: | no |
