Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2018 / ii / Paper 1 / 35A / b

For the one-dimensional freely jointed chain, counting right- and left-pointing links givesThereforeChoosing which links point right gives the state degeneracyPut $x=L/(Na)$. Applying the Stirling formula to $S=k_B\log \Omega$ and discarding terms subleading in $N$ yields

Because increasing the length by $dL$ requires work $fdL$ on the chain, its first law of thermodynamics isAll configurations have the same energy, so at fixed $E$ and $N$,Differentiating the entropy found above givesand hence the entropic Hooke law for a one-dimensional chain isWhen $L\ll Na$, the Taylor expansion of $\mathrm{artanh}x$ giveswhich is Hooke's law. Conversely, at fixed force,The extension decreases as the temperature rises and tends to zero as $T\to \infty$: the rubber contracts on heating at fixed tension.