The Entropy of Diatomic Gases

Abstract

The calculation by statistical means of the entropy of diatomic gases, as in the case of monatomic gases, consists chiefly of the calculation of the state sum. Since all the other thermodynamic functions can also be expressed in terms of the state sum (see Chapter 5), the calculation of the entropy from this sum must be regarded primarily as an example of the calculation of thermodynamic functions by statistical means. We might also have chosen as our example the free energy, the calculation of which, according to the equations in Sections 5.10 and 5.11, is somewhat easier, or the specific heat, for which the calculation is rather more complicated than that for the entropy.