Degrees of freedom (physics and chemistry)

In physics and chemistry, the term "degrees of freedom" refers to the number of independent parameters or coordinates that can be used to specify the configuration or state of a system. This concept is useful in various contexts, including thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and molecular dynamics. Here's how it applies in different scenarios: ### 1. **Mechanical Degrees of Freedom**: In mechanics, the degrees of freedom of a particle or system describe how many independent ways it can move.