Explain what is physically meant by “Degrees of Freedom” and the “Equipartition Theorem”.
Degrees of freedom, in a mechanics context, are specific, defined modes in which a mechanical device or system can move. The number of degrees of freedom is equal to the total number of independent displacements or aspects of motion. A machine may operate in two or three dimensions but have more than three degrees of freedom.
Law of
Equipartition
It states “Total energy of a gas molecule is equally distributed
among all the degrees of freedom”
Average Kinetic energy of a gas molecule per degree of freedom is
0.5kT
Explain what is physically meant by “Degrees of Freedom” and the “Equipartition Theorem”.