Answer to Question #169533 in Molecular Physics | Thermodynamics for Khushi

Question

Two indistinguishable particles are to be placed in five cells. Enumerate the

possible macrostates and the corresponding microstates

Answer 1

Answer

According to statistics

Macrostate is the state of a thermodynamic system with a given distribution of particles over the cells without regard to their numbers.

Now consider system have N identical particles and many cells.

One of the macrostates of the system will be one for which the first cell contains N1 particles, the second contains N2 particles, etc.

If one particle from the first cell has changed place with a particle from any other cell, then the macro state of the system remains unchanged.

Let us consider If a particle has passed from one cell to another and the quantitative distribution of particles over the cells has changed, so we can say the macrostate of the system has also changed.

As in statistical physics

Each macrostate can be implemented by a large number of microdistributions.

The microstate of a thermodynamic system is one of the possible distributions of numbered particles over the cells of the system.

Now assume a system consisting of four particles, each of which can be in one of two cells of the system.

In this case, five different macro states are possible.