Title: How incorrect is the classical partition function for the ideal gas?
Abstract: The classical partition function for the ideal gas, by incorrectly counting orbitals with multiple occupancy, differs from the exact value for bosons or fermions in the classical regime. A quantitative estimate of the error is derived, and it is shown that the error may correspond to a large factor, even when the gas is well inside the classical regime. For 1 cm3 of He at 300K and atmospheric pressure this factor exceeds 1013. However, all observables of the gas involve the logarithm of the partition function, rather than the partition function itself. The fractional error in the logarithm is negligible, hence the classical treatment leads in the end to correct answers for all observables.
Publication Year: 1980
Publication Date: 1980-11-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 7
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