Thermodynamics and Molecular Physics

Thermodynamics and Molecular Physics


Product Description


The software package includes 13 virtual laboratory works from the general physics course for students of higher and secondary educational institutions:

  1. Internal Energy and Mechanical Work;
  2. Internal Energy and Electrical Work;
  3. Boyle’s Law;
  4. Amontons’ Law;
  5. Adiabatic Index of Air;
  6. Real Gases and Critical Point;
  7. Leslie Cube;
  8. Heat Conduction;
  9. Thermal Expansion of Solid Bodies;
  10. Water Anomaly;
  11. Stirling Engine D;
  12. Stirling Engine G;
  13. Heat Pumps.

The virtual laboratory practice is implemented in the form of a set of cross-platform graphical applications supplied for various operating systems: Microsoft Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, Android, as well as web applications based on HTML5 technology, which provide the ability to remotely perform laboratory work in a web browser. The graphical component of the software uses the OpenGL 2.0 programming interface and component base.

Note:for best performance of online-versions of applications, we recommend using the Microsoft Edge web browser.


1. Internal Energy and Mechanical Work

Goals: measurement of body temperature depending on the number of revolutions using a friction cord; study of the proportionality between temperature change and the work of friction force; verification of the first law of thermodynamics; determination of the specific heat capacity of the material.

2. Internal Energy and Electrical Work

Goals: temperature measurement of aluminum and copper bodies depending on the perfect electrical work; demonstration of the proportionality of temperature changes to electrical work; verification of the first law of thermodynamics; determination of specific heat capacities of copper and aluminum.

3. Boyle’s Law

Goals: measurement of closed air pressure at constant temperature for different piston positions and different amounts of air; display of measured values in the form of a p-V diagram; verification of Boyle’s law.

4. Amontons’ Law

Goals: measurement of closed air pressure depending on temperature; plotting the measured values on the p-T diagram; verification of Amonton’s law.

5. Adiabatic Index of Air

Goals: measuring the oscillation period of the aluminum piston; determination of the equilibrium pressure in a closed volume of air; determination of the air adiabatic index and comparison of the result with the value indicated in the literature.

6. Real Gases and Critical Point

Goals: observation of sulphur hexafluoride in both liquid and gaseous states; plotting isotherms in the form of a p-V diagram; determination of the critical point.

7. Leslie Cube

Goals: determination of radiation from Leslie cube using a Moll thermopile; measuring the intensity of heat emitted by four different surfaces in relation to each other, depending on the temperature; confirmation that the radiation intensity is proportional to the temperature to the fourth power.

8. Heat Conduction

Goals: determining the change in temperature over time along the length of a metal rod, which heats up on one side, but remains cold on the other, both in a dynamic and in a stationary state; determination of the heat flow value; determination of the thermal conductivity of the material from which the rod is made.

9. Thermal Expansion of Solid Bodies

Goals: measurement of thermal expansion along the length for tubes made of various materials; determination of the coefficients of linear expansion for the materials under study and their comparison with the values indicated in the literature.

10. Water Anomaly

Goals: measurement of thermal expansion of water in the temperature range from 0 to 15 °C; demonstration of thermal anomaly; determination of temperature at the maximum density of water.

11. Stirling Engine D

Goals: study of the principle of operation of the Stirling engine as a heat engine; measurement of no-load speed depending on thermal power.

12. Stirling Engine G

Goals: study of the principle of operation of a gamma-type Stirling engine; demonstration of the heat engine operation in various modes; plotting p-V diagram of the engine cycle; determination of mechanical power associated with a full cycle.

13. Heat Pumps

Goals: demonstration of the operation of an electric compression heat pump; quantitative assessment of the ongoing cyclic process; construction of empirical dependences of temperature, pressure and electrical power.