Fundamentals Of Statistical And Thermal Physics Page

By explaining how individual atoms behave, he showed that the laws of heat and temperature are actually just the result of huge numbers of particles following the laws of chance. It remains a standard, albeit challenging, reference for undergraduate and graduate physics students.

"Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics" is a seminal textbook written by , first published in 1965. Fundamentals of statistical and thermal physics

It is widely considered a cornerstone of physics education because it shifted the way the subject was taught. Instead of starting with classical thermodynamics (the "big picture" of heat and engines), Reif started with . By explaining how individual atoms behave, he showed