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Consider an example of a Boltzmann distribution, Figure 1, for example. Discuss how the population of ε2 will be affected by (a) raising the temperature of the system
Accepted Answer
Raising the temperature of a system will increase the population of the ε2 energy level in a Boltzmann distribution. Here's why:
Boltzmann Distribution: This distribution describes the probability of molecules occupying different energy levels at a given temperature. The formula is:
P(ε) = (g(ε)
exp(-ε/kT)) / Q
where:
P(ε) is the probability of a molecule being in energy level ε
g(ε) is the degeneracy of the energy level
k is the Boltzmann constant
T is the temperature in Kelvin
Q is the partition function (a normalization factor)
Temperature and Energy Levels: As temperature increases, the exponential term (exp(-ε/kT)) becomes less negative. This means the probability of occupying higher energy levels increases. Since ε2 is a higher energy level than ε1, its population will increase more significantly than the population of ε1.
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