Module 01
(Specific Heat)
1. Calculate the partition function and the total energy for the Boltzmann solid consisting
of collection of atoms modeled as classical harmonic oscillator.
2. Show that the classical energy of electron gas depends on temperature but specific heat
is independent of temperature
3. How quantization of harmonic oscillator in Einstein model changes the partition function
and the total energy in case of a 1D chain of atoms.
4. Show that the DP model says that specific heat is independent of Temperature
5. At low temperature the experimentally observed specific heat C falls according to Fig. 1;
which is a gross violation of Dulong-Petit law. Give a physical reason explaining this
behavior. Also find the specific heat in Einstein’s model
6. Show that, we can explain DP law at high temperature using Einstein’s model
7. Discuss the shortcomings of Einstein’s theory of specific heat
8. Explain how the Debye model addresses the limitations of Einstein’s model. Derive the
Debye heat capacity as a function of temperature and explain its behavior in different
temperature limits.
9. What are the proposals of Debye theory? Prove C is proportional to T3 from Debye
Theory
10. Show that D-P can be recovered from Debye theory at high temperatures
11. Discuss the shortcomings of Debye theory
( Thermal Expansion)
12. Show that, there is no thermal expansion if atoms have harmonic potential
13. Find out the coefficient of thermal expansion using atoms following anharmonic
potential.
FIG. 2
14. How do we understand thermal expansion from figure 2 by considering for a classical
oscillator and the effect of anharmonic terms.
15. Derive the expression for thermal conductivity using Wiedmann-Frenz law
16. Mention the assumptions of the Drude theory of metals. Why Drude model is successful
in thermal conductivity?
17. Find out the expression for electronic velocity inside a solid material from Drude model.
18. Calculate the Seebeck coefficient S using Drude model and explain why this is 100 times
smaller than the experimental observation.
19. Establish the fundamental relation between Seebeck and Peltier coefficients.
Module 02
1. What are the assumptions of Drude Model?
2. Find the equation of Motion using Drude model and also derive the electronic drift
velocity
3. Derive the equation for electon mobility and DC conductivity in Drude model
4. How does Drude explain the hall effect ? Find the Hall voltage
5. Show that electron has cyclotron frequency.
6. How can we understand that electron is the carrier using Hall coefficient?
7. Show that Energy is quantized and dependent on number of electrons by solving Time
Independent Schrodinger’s equation. Also how can you find proof of Pauli’s exclusion
principle from this?
8. Find out the E-K relation and show that it is of spherical shape
9. How can we explain that electrons are fermions from the Sommerfield theory?
10. Find total number of electrons, fermi radius, fermi momentum, fermi velocity and fermi
temperature
11. What is the physical interpretation of Fermi temperature being so high compared to
operating temperature and why does it happen?
12. Find E/V and E/N
13. Find out the electronic specific heat and show that its true for all fermion
Fig 3
20. The specific heat in solid has two major contributions from different sources inside a
material as shown in the Fig. 3. Identify the sources and explain their behaviour with
temperature with analytic expression (do not derive any equation).
or
Explain the origin of graph of shown in Fig. 3
