Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-b-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/paper-1/section-c/c10/a/solution
Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge 2010 Paper 1 Section C C10 a Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
At fixed positive pressure, the extrapolated term tends to as . That prediction is not physically realistic for an equilibrium sample. The classical ideal-gas description with constant heat capacity cannot extend unchanged to absolute zero. A real substance generally undergoes phase changes, and quantum statistics and thermal freeze-out change its heat capacity and entropy. For a nondegenerate equilibrium ground state, the third law gives entropy approaching zero; residual ground-state degeneracy can give a finite residual value rather than this negative divergence. This is a breakdown of the extrapolation, not a violation of the third law by a real gas.
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