6. Why is the heat capacity highest at a phase transi:on?
Heat capacity and energy fluctua:ons
⎛ ∂U ⎞ (E − E ) 2
CV = ⎜ ⎟ =
⎝ ∂T ⎠ V kT 2
(Page 230‐231 in Molecular Driving Forces
U= E
remember that )
The system changes most at a phase transi:on
so the energy fluctua:ons are largest here
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