Boltzmann's Entropy Formula
Description
In statistical mechanics, Boltzmann’s equation is a probability equation relating the entropy S of an ideal gas to the quantity W, which is the number of microstates corresponding to a given macrostate.
In short, the Boltzmann formula shows the relationship between entropy and the number of ways the atoms or molecules of a thermodynamic system can be arranged. In 1934, Swiss physical chemist Werner Kuhn successfully derived a thermal equation of state for rubber molecules using Boltzmann’s formula, which has since come to be known as the entropy model of rubber.
Related formulasVariables
S | entropy of an ideal gas (J/K) |
kB | Boltzmann constant |
W | quantity W, which is the number of microstates corresponding to a given macrostate (dimensionless) |