Thermodynamics, Statistical Physics, and Quantum Mechanics

149

where Therefore,

The averagelength is

We can check that, if

Molecular Chain (MIT, Princeton, Colorado)

a) Consider onelink of thechain in its twoconfigurations: and The
energy of thelink is

The partition function forthe entirechain is given by

b) The averagelength of the chain may befound from the partition function:

4.48

c) If (S.4.48.3) becomes

THERMODYNAMICS AND STATISTICAL PHYSICS

At (lowest energy state). At