Boltzmann, Ludwig
Published: August 28, 2006, 5:27 pm
Updated: August 28, 2006, 5:27 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Tom Lawrence
Ludwig Boltzmann (1844-1906), an Austrian physicist famous for the invention of statistical mechanics. Boltzmann provided the framework for relating the microscopic properties of individual atoms and molecules to the macroscopic or bulk properties of materials that can be observed in every day life. Statistical mechanics also explains thermodynamic properties of bulk materials from the spectroscopic data of individual molecules. One of Boltzmann’s great insights was his finding that a macroscopic state is proportional to the logarithm of the number of microscopic states corresponding to it. He is famous for his formula for entropy (S): S = kB lnP where kB = 1.380658´10-23JK-1 (the Boltzmann constant), and P is the number of possible microscopic states which give the same thermodynamical state that a system may be in.
Further Reading
[1] Flamm, D., 1997. Ludwig Boltzmann – A Pioneer of Modern Physics. Paper presented at the XXth International Congress of History of Science, on July 25, 1997, in Liège, Belgium.
Ludwig Boltzmann Biography (University of Minnesota Morris)
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Citation
Cutler J. Cleveland (Lead Author);Tom Lawrence (Topic Editor) "Boltzmann, Ludwig". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 28, 2006; Last revised Date August 28, 2006; Retrieved May 24, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Boltzmann,_Ludwig>
The Author
Cutler J. Cleveland is Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University, where he also is on the faculty of the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies. Professor Cleveland is Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Energy (Elsevier, 2004), winner of an American Library Association award, the Dictionary of Energy (Elsevier, 2005), Handbook of Energy (Elsevier, forthcoming), and is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Earth. He is the recipient of the Adelma ... (Full Bio)
Ludwig Boltzmann (1844-1906), an Austrian physicist famous for the invention of statistical mechanics. Boltzmann provided the framework for relating the microscopic properties of individual atoms and molecules to the macroscopic or bulk properties of materials that can be observed in every day life. Statistical mechanics also explains thermodynamic properties of bulk materials from the spectroscopic data of individual molecules. One of Boltzmann’s great insights was his finding that a macroscopic state is proportional to the logarithm of the number of microscopic states corresponding to it. He is famous for his formula for entropy (S): S = kB lnP where kB = 1.380658´10-23JK-1 (the Boltzmann constant), and P is the number of possible microscopic states which give the same thermodynamical state that a system may be in.
Further Reading
[1] Flamm, D., 1997. Ludwig Boltzmann – A Pioneer of Modern Physics. Paper presented at the XXth International Congress of History of Science, on July 25, 1997, in Liège, Belgium.
Ludwig Boltzmann Biography (University of Minnesota Morris)
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