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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 increasing the energy separation between ε1 and ε2.
Accepted Answer
Increasing the energy separation between ε1 and ε2 will decrease the population of ε2 in a Boltzmann distribution. The Boltzmann distribution describes the distribution of particles among energy levels at a given temperature. The equation is: Ni/Ntotal = exp(-εi/kT), where Ni is the number of particles in energy level εi, Ntotal is the total number of particles, k is Boltzmann's constant, and T is the temperature. As the energy separation between ε1 and ε2 increases, the exponential term for ε2 becomes smaller, resulting in a lower population in that energy level.
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