Uploaded March 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Previously we worked through some fundamental results of statistical mechanics. We are now in a position to derive the formula for the absolute entropy of an ideal monatomic gas. We find that our first attempt is plagued by the so-called Gibbs Paradox. Revisiting our fundamental statistical assumptions, we modify our entropy expression to resolve this paradox. The result is the Sackur-Tetrode equation, one of the most elegant results in statistical mechanics.
Previously we worked through some fundamental results of statistical mechanics. We are now in a position to derive the formula for the absolute entropy of an ideal monatomic gas. We find that our first attempt is plagued by the so-called Gibbs Paradox. Revisiting our fundamental statistical assumptions, we modify our entropy expression to resolve this paradox. The result is the Sackur-Tetrode equation, one of the most elegant results in statistical mechanics.
