Boltzmann factor in mechanics
Description
In statistical mechanics and mathematics, a Boltzmann distribution (also called Gibbs distribution) is a probability distribution, probability measure, or frequency distribution of particles in a system over various possible states.
In statistical mechanics, the Boltzmann distribution is a probability distribution that gives the probability that a system will be in a certain state as a function of that state’s energy and the temperature of the system.
The ratio of a Boltzmann distribution computed for two states is known as the Boltzmann factor and characteristically only depends on the states’ energy difference. it is expressed as shown
Related formulasVariables
Fstate1 | Boltzmann distribution of state 1 (dimensionless) |
Fstate2 | Boltzmann distribution of state 2 (dimensionless) |
E1 | state 1 energy (J) |
E2 | state 2 energy (J) |
k | Boltzmann constant |
T | temperature of the system (K) |