Past exam of the chemistry A course of the University of Cambridge / 2025 / Paper 2 / A7 / a

For identical, non-interacting molecules, the translational canonical partition function is $Q_N=q_{\mathrm{trans}}^N/N!$. Stirling's approximation gives the Helmholtz free energyAt fixed $V$, $q_{\mathrm{trans}}\propto T^{3/2}$, so differentiation gives $S=Nk[\log (q_{\mathrm{trans}}/N)+5/2]$. For one mole at the standard-state molar volume,Here the quoted molar translational quantity is per mole, and its ratio to $N_A$ is dimensionless. The derivative defining entropy is taken at fixed volume before inserting the standard-state volume; differentiating along a constant-pressure path would give the wrong additive constant.

For a linear rigid rotor in the high-temperature regime, $q_{\mathrm{rot}}\propto T$. Its molar rotational entropy isThe rotational symmetry number must already be included in $q_{\mathrm{rot}}$.