PHYS 310 Thermodynamics and Kinetic Theory, Fall 2026

Lecture

Tuesday, Thursday 9:30 - 10:50 (2026-09-01 - 2026-12-08)
Room SAB 4-36
Office hours: tbd
Course syllabus will be posted on Canvas.
The course will establish the foundations of thermodynamics from a phenomenological perspective, focusing on central concepts such as temperature, work, heat, energy, and entropy, along relevant examples and applications. This part is followed by an introduction to the elementary kinetic theory of gases that provides a microscopic basis for many of the phenomena observed in thermodynamic systems.

A particular emphasis will be on applying thermodynamic considerations to real-world and daily-life problems through examples in class.

The material covered in the course is discussed in numerous excellent books. I encourage students to browse the University of Alberta online library and find the ones they like best. The lectures will follow my lecture notes and slides, which will be available here and on Canvas, and as such are independent of any specific textbook. Two classic books that I recommend for this course, which are available online through the University of Alberta library, are:
- Finn - Thermal Physics
- Fermi - Thermodynamics

Lecture Tuesday, Thursday 9:30 - 10:50 (2026-09-01 - 2026-12-08) Room SAB 4-36 Office hours: tbd Course syllabus will be posted on Canvas. The course will establish the foundations of thermodynamics from a phenomenological perspective, focusing on central concepts such as temperature, work, heat, energy, and entropy, along relevant examples and applications. This part is followed by an introduction to the elementary kinetic theory of gases that provides a microscopic basis for many of the phenomena observed in thermodynamic systems. A particular emphasis will be on applying thermodynamic considerations to real-world and daily-life problems through examples in class.
Literature The material covered in the course is discussed in numerous excellent books. I encourage students to browse the University of Alberta online library and find the ones they like best. The lectures will follow my lecture notes and slides, which will be available here and on Canvas, and as such are independent of any specific textbook. Two classic books that I recommend for this course, which are available online through the University of Alberta library, are: Finn - Thermal Physics Fermi - Thermodynamics Assignments Weekly assignments will be posted on Canvas.