Thermal and Statistical Physics
Physics · 3 hrs Lecture
Offered: Winter Only, Odd Year
Hard to catch. Runs in odd-numbered years only, next in 2027. Miss it and the following chance is 2029.
PHYS-3403 prerequisites
11 courses appear in this chain, up to 6 levels deep. 5 are needed whichever route you take: PHYS-1101 → PHYS-2105 → PHYS-2302L → PHYS-2106 → PHYS-2302
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Where PHYS-3403 counts
Required by 6 programs:
Counts toward 2 more as one option among several, not as a course you must take:
Read from the departments' own calendar pages, where 50 of 208 programs are only partly machine-readable, so treat these as a minimum rather than the full list. Confirm with an academic advisor.
Description
Statistical mechanics provides the microscopic description of the thermodynamic behaviour of matter. Students learn the standard methodology of statistical mechanics which strives to derive all of the classical results of thermodynamics through quantum statistical analysis. Topics include the microcanonical ensemble, the canonical ensemble, Boltzmann's Distribution, as well as the quantum mechanical description of heat and work. Other more advanced topics in statistical mechanics are discussed depending on time.
Requisite courses
Restrictions
Students may not hold credit for this course and PHYS-3401.
From the 2026-27 undergraduate calendar. Always verify details on WebAdvisor or with an academic advisor before registering.