statistical mechanics

noun

plural in form but usually singular in construction
: a branch of mechanics dealing with the application of the principles of statistics to the mechanics of a system consisting of a large number of parts having motions that differ by small steps over a large range

Examples of statistical mechanics in a Sentence

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In the 1980s, mathematicians began to find deep and surprising connections between these equations and other areas of mathematics: in statistical mechanics and the study of phase transitions, in knot theory and string theory, in number theory and representation theory and the study of symmetries. Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024 The second law of thermodynamics, the first law of thermodynamics, the conservation of energy, the principles of statistical mechanics, the properties of radiation — all of that is 100% dependent on a set of principles that include the zeroth principle of physics, that information is conserved. Quanta Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024 Andy is one of the pioneers of inflation, and these days has been thinking about the foundations of cosmology, which brings you smack up against other foundational issues in fields like statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2012 This led to the development of statistical mechanics, which was also wildly successful. Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2011 Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics are the powerful methods physics has developed to derive the properties of bodies—such as their temperature and pressure—from the basic behavior of their atoms and molecules, using probability. Frank Wilczek, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2022 Ergodicity is a crucial concept in statistical mechanics, which (for example) deduces the behavior of a large volume of gas from the motions of its uncountable individual molecules. Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 18 Mar. 2022 For these unruly systems, statistical mechanics falls short in representing phase transitions. Quanta Magazine, 11 Nov. 2021 Mathematically, these systems are elegantly described with statistical mechanics, the branch of physics that explains how collections of objects behave. Quanta Magazine, 11 Nov. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of statistical mechanics was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near statistical mechanics

Cite this Entry

“Statistical mechanics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/statistical%20mechanics. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.

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