BE. 410 Spring 2003-Lecture 3 Slides Images removed due to copyright considerations See Figures 1 and 2 in Liphardt, Jan, et al. \Reversible Unfolding of Single RNA Molecules
Why Statistical Mechanics? Understand predict the physical properties of macroscopic systems from the properties of their constituents Deterministic approach ma F need of 6n coordinates at t: r: and v but typically n= moles (1023)! Ensemble?rather than microscopic detail and its surroundings microcanonical, canonical, grand canonical