Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2023 ii Paper 2 37A f Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The condition implies . The small-argument expansion of the hyperbolic tangent gives , soUsing yields the entropic Hooke law for a one-dimensional chainThus the effective spring constant is .
At fixed tension, the exact extension isIncreasing the temperature decreases the positive argument of the hyperbolic tangent, so the chain contracts. In the small-extension regime this becomeswhich is inversely proportional to .