WClasses

PHYS 359 - Statistical Mechanics

Fundamental postulate of statistical thermodynamics. Entropy. Microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical ensembles. Fermi-Dirac, Bose-Einstein, and Boltzmann Statistics. Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution. Applications to specific heat of solids, classical and quantum gases, electrons in metals, Planck's law of radiation, and Bose-Einstein condensation.

Prerequisites

One of PHYS236, CS114, CS116, CS136, CS146. One of PHYS358, ECE403, CHEM254, ME250; One of PHYS233, PHYS234, CHEM356,

Corequisites

AMATH373

Antirequisites

None

Offerings

Winter 2026 [1261]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days
LEC 001	6820	60 / 100	13:00 - 14:20	M,W
LEC 002	7240	75 / 100	14:30 - 15:50	M,W
TUT 101	7224	57 / 100	10:30 - 11:20	T
TUT 102	7225	77 / 100	16:30 - 17:20	M

Fall 2025 [1259]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	7739	34 / 60

Winter 2025 [1251]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days
LEC 001	6929	99 / 100	10:00 - 11:20	M,W
LEC 002	7397	53 / 100	13:00 - 14:20	M,W
TUT 101	7370	99 / 100	16:30 - 17:20	T
TUT 102	7371	53 / 100	14:30 - 15:20	M

Winter 2024 [1241]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days
LEC 001	6987	103 / 100	10:00 - 11:20	M,W
LEC 002	8208	44 / 100	08:30 - 09:50	M,W
TUT 101	7467	103 / 100	10:30 - 11:20	F
TUT 102	7468	44 / 100	10:30 - 11:20	W

Fall 2023 [1239]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	7576	28 / 60	11:30 - 12:50	T,Th

Winter 2023 [1231]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	7085	155 / 200	10:30 - 11:20	M,W,F	DC 1351	Alan Jamison
TUT 101	8769	85 / 100	14:30 - 15:20	W	MC 2017
TUT 102	8770	70 / 100	14:30 - 15:20	F	AL 211

Fall 2022 [1229]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	8730	0 / 60

Winter 2022 [1221]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	6879	139 / 200	08:30 - 09:20	M,W,F	DC 1351	Alan Jamison

Fall 2021 [1219]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	7806	44 / 60				Jeff Chen

Winter 2021 [1211]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 041	6906	157 / 155				Alan Jamison

Fall 2020 [1209]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 041	7646	35 / 60				Jeff Chen

Winter 2020 [1201]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	6728	139 / 150	13:00 - 14:20	T,Th	STC 0040	Jeff Chen

Fall 2019 [1199]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	8902	37 / 60				Wing-Ki Liu

Winter 2019 [1191]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	6629	130 / 150	11:30 - 12:50	T,Th	STC 0010	Michel Gingras
LEC 002	7018	0 / 60

Fall 2018 [1189]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	9724	1 / 1

Winter 2018 [1181]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	6660	119 / 150	11:30 - 12:50	T,Th	STC 0050	Michel Gingras
LEC 002	7070	0 / 60				Wing-Ki Liu
LEC 003	9610	1 / 1

Winter 2017 [1171]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	6319	114 / 150	11:30 - 12:50	T,Th	STC 0010	Michel Gingras
LEC 002	6745	53 / 60				Zheng-Yu Chen

Winter 2016 [1161]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	6785	108 / 99	13:00 - 14:20	T,Th	AL 113	Michel Gingras
LEC 002	7288	36 / 60				Wing-Ki Liu

Winter 2015 [1151]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	6515	72 / 80	16:30 - 17:20	T,W,F	PHY 313	Qing-Bin Lu
LEC 002	7539	49 / 60

Winter 2014 [1141]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	6309	84 / 80	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F	PHY 235	Qing-Bin Lu

Winter 2013 [1131]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	6018	76 / 80	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F	PHY 150	Zheng-Yu Chen

Winter 2012 [1121]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	5796	75 / 80	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F	PHY 150	Zheng-Yu Chen

Winter 2011 [1111]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	5775	70 / 80	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F	PHY 313	Qing-Bin Lu

Winter 2010 [1101]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	5774	59 / 65	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F	RCH 204	Qing-Bin Lu

Winter 2009 [1091]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	4884	63 / 65	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F	PHY 235	Qing-Bin Lu

Winter 2008 [1081]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	4046	50 / 65	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F	PHY 313	Qing-Bin Lu

Winter 2007 [1071]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	3952	47 / 65	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F	PHY 150	Qing-Bin Lu
LEC 002	5079	13 / 65	13:30 - 14:20	M,W,F	PHY 150	Qing-Bin Lu

Winter 2006 [1061]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	3865	62 / 65	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F,P,H,Y		Qing-Bin Lu

Winter 2005 [1051]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	3784	50 / 50	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F,R,C,H		Qing-Bin Lu

Winter 2004 [1041]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	3573	39 / 48	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F,D,W,E		Zheng-Yu Chen

Winter 2003 [1031]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	4114	38 / 48	09:30 - 10:20	M,W,F,P,H,Y		Zheng-Yu Chen

Winter 2002 [1021]

Section	Class	Enrolled	Time	Days	Location	Instructor
LEC 001	2172	51 / 48	08:30 - 09:20	M,W,F,R,C,H		Wing-Ki Liu

UW Flow Ratings

Liked: 75.00%

75.00%

Easy: 34.52%

34.52%

Useful: 90.48 %

90.48%

PHYS 359 leads to

PHYS 435 - Current Topics in Condensed Matter Physics