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    Feynman Lectures Simplified 1B: Harmonic Oscillators, & Thermodynamics
    Feynman Lectures Simplified 1B: Harmonic Oscillators, & Thermodynamics
    Feynman Lectures Simplified 1B: Harmonic Oscillators, & Thermodynamics
    Ebook233 pages3 hours

    Feynman Lectures Simplified 1B: Harmonic Oscillators, & Thermodynamics

    By Robert Piccioni

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    About this ebook

    Feynman Simplified gives mere mortals access to the fabled Feynman Lectures on Physics.

    As a Caltech undergraduate, I had the amazing opportunity to learn physics directly from the greatest scientist of our age. I absorbed all I could. His style and enthusiasm were as important as the facts and equations.

    For those who have struggled with the Big Red Books, and for those who were reluctant to take the plunge, Feynman Simplified is for you. Feynman’s mantra seemed to be: No Einstein Left Behind. He sought to inspire “the more advanced and excited student”, perhaps10% of the class. My goal is to reach the other 90%.

    Feynman Simplified: 1B covers about a quarter of Volume 1, the freshman course, of The Feynman Lectures on Physics. The topics we explore include:
    •Harmonic Oscillators, Resonances, and Transients
    •Kinetic Theory of Gases
    •Statistical Mechanics
    •Thermodynamics

    There is no better way to truly learn physics than from a truly great physicist, Feynman taught us more than just physics — he taught us how to think like a physicist.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRobert Piccioni
    Release dateJul 8, 2014
    ISBN9781310173288
    Feynman Lectures Simplified 1B: Harmonic Oscillators, & Thermodynamics
    Author

    Robert Piccioni

    Dr Robert Piccioni is a physicist, public speaker, educator and expert on cosmology and Einstein's theories. His "Everyone's Guide Series" e-books makes the frontiers of science accessible to all. With short books focused on specific topics, readers can easily mix and match, satisfying their individual interests. Each self-contained book tells its own story. The Series may be read in any order or combination. Robert has a B.S. in Physics from Caltech, a Ph.D. in High Energy Physics from Stanford University, was a faculty member at Harvard University and did research at the Stanford Linear Accelerator in Palo Alto, Calif. He has studied with and done research with numerous Nobel Laureates. At Caltech, one of his professors was Richard Feynman, one of the most famous physicists of the 20th century, and a good family friend. Dr. Piccioni has introduced cutting-edge science to numerous non-scientific audiences, including school children and civic groups. He was guest lecturer on a National Geographic/Lindblad cruise, and has given invited talks at Harvard, Caltech, UCLA, and Stanford University.

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      Book preview

      Feynman Lectures Simplified 1B - Robert Piccioni

      Feynman Simplified

      1B: Harmonic Oscillators,

      & Thermodynamics

      Everyone’s Guide

      to the

      Feynman Lectures on Physics

      by

      Robert L. Piccioni, Ph.D.

      Second Edition

      Copyright © 2016
      by
      Robert L. Piccioni

      Published by

      Real Science Publishing

      3949 Freshwind Circle

      Westlake Village, CA 91361, USA

      Edited by Joan Piccioni

      All rights reserved, including the right of

      reproduction in whole or in part, in any form.

      Visit our web site

      www.guidetothecosmos.com

      Everyone’s Guide to the

      Feynman Lectures on Physics

      Feynman Simplified gives mere mortals access to the fabled Feynman Lectures on Physics.

      Caltech Professor and Nobel Laureate Richard Feynman was the greatest scientist since Einstein. I had the amazing opportunity to learn physics directly from the world’s best physicist. He had an uncanny ability to unravel the most complex mysteries, reveal underlying principles, and profoundly understand nature. No one ever presented introductory physics with greater insight than did Richard Feynman. He taught us more than physics — he taught us how to think like a physicist.

      But, the Feynman Lectures are like sipping from a fire hose. His mantra seemed to be: No Einstein Left Behind. He sought to inspire the more advanced and excited student, and ensure even the most intelligent student was unable to completely encompass everything. 

      My goal is to reach as many eager students as possible and bring Feynman’s genius to a wider audience. For those who have struggled with the Big Red Books, and for those who were reluctant to take the plunge, Feynman Simplified is for you.

      Physics is one of the greatest adventures of the human mind — everyone can enjoy exploring nature.

      This Book

      Feynman Simplified: 1B covers about a quarter of Volume 1, the freshman course, of The Feynman Lectures on Physics. The topics we explore include:

      Harmonic Oscillators, Resonances, and Transients

      Kinetic Theory of Gases

      Statistical Mechanics

      Thermodynamics

      Feynman Simplified makes Feynman’s lectures easier to understand without watering down his brilliant insights. I have added reviews of key ideas at the end of each chapter and at the end of each major section. 

      Feynman Simplified is self-contained; you need not go back and forth between this book and his. But, for those who wish to read both, I provide extensive cross-references: V1p12-9 denotes his Volume 1, chapter 12, page 9. If, for example, you have trouble with Feynman’s description of reversible machines in Volume 1 page 4-2, simply search Feynman Simplified for V1p4-2. Some material is presented in a different sequence — the best way to divide topics for one-hour lectures is not necessarily the best way to present them in a book.

      Many major discoveries have been made in the last 50 years; Feynman Simplified augments and modifies his lectures as necessary to provide the best explanations of the latest developments. Links to additional information on many topics are included.

      To learn more about the Feynman Simplified series, to receive updates, and send us your comments, click here. 

      To further Simplify your adventure, learn about my Math for Physicists that explains the math to master Feynman physics.

      Looking for information about a specific topic? Peruse our free downloadable index to the entire Feynman Simplified series.

      If you enjoy this book, please do me the great favor of rating it on your favorite online retailer.

      Table of Contents

      Chapter 12: Harmonic Oscillators

      Chapter 13: Resonances

      Chapter 14: Transients & Linear Systems Review

      Chapter 15: Kinetic Theory of Gases

      Chapter 16: Statistical Mechanics

      Chapter 17: Brownian Motion

      Chapter 18: Kinetic Theory At Equilibrium

      Chapter 19: Kinetic Theory Near Equilibrium

      Chapter 20: Newton, We Have A Problem!

      Chapter 21: Thermodynamic Laws

      Chapter 22: Thermodynamic Applications

      Chapter 23: Irreversibility & Entropy

      Chapter 24: Thermodynamics Review

      Chapter 12

      Harmonic Oscillators

      In V1p21-1 Feynman says:

      In the study of physics…a strange thing occurs again and again: the equations which appear in different fields of physics, and even in other sciences, are often almost exactly the same, so that many phenomena have analogs in these different fields. So the study of a phenomenon in one field may permit an extension of our knowledge in another field.

      "The harmonic oscillator, which we are about to study, has close analogs in many other fields; although we start with a mechanical example of a weight on a spring…we are really studying a certain differential equation. This equation appears again and again in physics and other sciences…[including] charge flowing back and forth in an electrical circuit; the vibrations of a tuning fork which is generating sound waves; the analogous vibrations of the electrons in an atom, which generate light waves;…a thermostat trying to adjust a temperature;…the growth of a colony of bacteria…; foxes eating rabbits eating grass, and so on."

      §12.1 Linear Differential Equations

      The equations governing all these phenomena are called linear differential equations with constant coefficients. The words linear and constant make these the simplest of all differential equations — a good place to start. The form of equations of this type is:

      f(t) = a0 x + a1 dx/dt + … + an dnx/dtn

      where t is the independent variable, x is the dependent variable, all aj are constant, and n is the order of this linear differential equation. This is called a differential equation because it contains derivatives.

      §12.2 The Harmonic Oscillator

      The simplest mechanical example of behavior governed by a linear differential equation is a mass on a spring, illustrated in Figure 12-1. Here m is the mass, x is the vertical height, and x=0 is the equilibrium height, the height at which that mass can rest motionless on this spring.

      Mass on a spring

      Figure 12-1 Mass on a Spring

      We will assume the spring is ideal, perfectly elastic, and obeys Hooke’s law, which means the force F exerted by the spring is given by:

      F = – k x

      Here, k is the spring constant and x is the displacement from the equilibrium position. The minus sign signifies that the force opposes the displacement: if the mass moves to +x, the spring’s force is directed toward –x, and vice versa. The differential equation is then:

      F = ma = –kx

      d²x/dt² = –(k/m) x

      In the list of derivatives in Feynman Simplified 1A, Section §11.13, we find two related functions, sine and cosine, whose second derivatives are proportional to minus themselves. Specifically,

      d² (sinωt) /dt² = –ω² sinωt

      d² (cosωt) /dt² = –ω² cosωt

      Indeed, the sine and cosine functions are identical except for a phase shift: sin(ø) = cos(ø–π/2). Either function fits our need; using sine will require less writing if the mass is at x=0 at t=0, while using cosine will require less writing if the velocity of the mass is zero at t=0.

      Let’s pick the cosine, and start with a mass that is stationary at displacement x=A, and is released at t=0.

      x = A cosωt

      d²x/dt² = –ω² x

      ω² = k/m

      Note that A could have any value and satisfy the same equation. This is what we mean by a linear differential equation. The series of terms in our original differential equation had derivatives of various orders, but each was proportional to x⁰ or x¹, not x² or √x or any other power. So if we multiply x by any constant A, Ax will satisfy all the same linear differential equations as does x. This is not true for the independent variable t: if we divide t by 2, dx/dt doubles and d²x/dt² quadruples — t/2 will not satisfy all the same equations as does t.

      Due to the cosine term, x oscillates up and down. The mass will start at x=A, drop through x=0, all the way down to x=–A, stop there for an instant, rise again, pass through x=0, and return to a momentary pause at x=A.

      That cycle will repeat indefinitely. A is called the amplitude of the oscillation. The period of the oscillation is the amount of time required for the mass to complete one full cycle; that time is t = 2π/ω = 2π√(m/k), since the cosine function repeats every 2π radians. For a given m and k, the period of oscillation never changes; hence the name harmonic.

      Note that the mass oscillates with the same period regardless of the amplitude of oscillation. If we compress the spring twice as much, the force doubles, the acceleration doubles, the distance traveled in one second doubles, which exactly balances the fact that the mass has twice as far to travel to complete its cycle.

      The factors that determine the oscillation period are m and k. A greater mass is harder to move; it slows the motion and lengthens the period. Quadrupling the mass doubles the period, due to the square root. Conversely, a stronger spring has a larger k, exerting a greater force and reducing the period. Quadrupling k halves the period.

      There is one more knob to play with: a phase shift. We saw earlier that subtracting π/2 from the argument of the cosine function transforms it into the sine function. More generally, we can add or subtract any constant angle ø, yielding:

      x = A cos(ωt+ø)

      This allows us to describe any starting position and velocity, what we call initial conditions. This equation can be expanded according to the usual rules of trigonometry:

      x = (Acosø) cosωt – (Asinø) sinωt

      Depending on application and personal preference, one can write this equation in any of the following equivalent ways:

      x = C cosωt + B sinωt

      x = A cos(ωt+ø)

      x = A cos(ω [t–t0] )

      In the first equation above √(C²+B²) = A the amplitude of oscillation. In all three, ω is called the angular frequency of oscillation, which is measured in radians per second. If N complete oscillations occur per second, ω equals 2πN.

      §12.3 Initial Conditions V1p21-4

      Any specific linear differential equation can be solved by many different equations. We noted earlier that their linearity ensures that Ax solves any equation that is solved by x. We also noted that sine functions solve the mass-on-spring equation when the starting height is zero, while cosines solve the equation when the starting velocity is zero.

      The three forms of the solution listed above are each able to describe any mass moving on any ideal spring, with any starting position and velocity. What we need to do next, therefore, is to learn how to connect these initial conditions to the adjustable constants in our three solutions.

      Let’s take the first solution as an example and take its time derivative:

      x(t) = C cosωt + B sinωt

      v(t) = –Cω sinωt + Bω cosωt

      These two equations provide the position and velocity at any time t. The spring determines the acceleration at any time t:

      a(t) = –k x(t) / m

      Let’s assume we know x(0) and v(0), the initial conditions at time t=0. We can then calculate C and B.

      C = x(0)

      B = v(0) / ω

      Similarly, for the second solution:

      x(t) = A cos(ωt+ø):

      v(t) = –Aω sin(ωt+ø)

      if x(0) equals 0:

         ø = π/2

         A = –v(0) / ω

      if x(0) is not 0:

         tanø = –v(0) / [ω x(0)]

         A = x(0) / cosø

      For the third solution:

      x(t) = A cos(ω[t–t0])

      v(t) = –Aω sin(ω[t–t0])

      if x(0) equals 0:

         t0 = π / 2ω

         A = v(0) / ω

      if x(0) is not 0:

         tan(ωt0) = v(0) / ω x(0)

         A = x(0) / cos(ωt0)

      Next, let’s examine the kinetic and potential energy of this system, using our second solution as an example. The potential energy U is how much energy is stored in the compressed (or stretched) spring, with displacement +x (or –x). Recall that F = –grad(U), which for one-dimensional motion reduces to:

      F = –dU/dx

      U = –∫  F dx

      U = –∫  (–kx) dx

      U = + k x²/2 = (k A² /2) cos²(ωt+ø)

      The potential energy oscillates as the spring displacement oscillates, as expected. Now calculate the kinetic energy T, using the fact that ω²=k/m.

      T = m v² / 2

      T = (m A² ω² /2) sin²(ωt+ø)

      T = (k A² /2) sin²(ωt+ø)

      The kinetic energy also oscillates as the velocity of the mass oscillates. The total energy is:

      T+U = (kA²/2) {sin²(ωt+ø) + cos²(ωt+ø)}

      T+U = k A² /2 = m A² ω² /2

      The two expressions in the last line are equivalent; we show both for sake of completeness. Since neither equation contains time, the total energy T+U is constant, as required by energy conservation.

      §12.4 Forced Oscillations V1p21-5

      The above description of harmonic oscillation assumes no external forces affect the motion. Let’s now examine the impact of an external force Fext(t). The differential equation becomes:

      F = m d²x/dt² = –kx + Fext(t)

      To make any progress with this equation, we need to know more about Fext(t). Specifically, we need its time dependence. As we shall discover, knowing a system’s response to a sinusoidal force is sufficient to solve any problem. Let’s therefore assume:

      F(t) = f cos(ßt)

      Here, f is a constant and ß is a constant angular frequency that may differ from ω.

      Even with a complete knowledge of F(t), there is no guaranteed method to solve an arbitrary differential equation. There is nothing wrong with trying a possible solution to see if it works. If you guess wrong, you will soon discover that your guess does not solve the differential equation, and then you can try something else. Clever guessing is both a science and an art; experience and perseverance also help. As Feynman says in V1p24-3: "Being physicists, we do not have to worry about the method as much as we do about what the solution is."

      Feynman suggests a solution in which the mass oscillates at the frequency of the external force according to:

      x = D cosßt

      Let’s plug Feynman’s guess into the differential equation and see if it works.

      m (–Dß² cosßt) = –k(D cosßt) + f cosßt

      m (–Dß²) = –kD + f

      D (k–mß²) = f

      D = f / (k–mß²) = f / [m (ω² – ß²)]

      Feynman’s guess solves this differential equation for this specific value of D, which we show in two equivalent forms. The second seems more revealing. Recall that ω is the angular frequency of oscillation

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