An Introduction to Thermal Physics · Problem 1.65

Energy in Thermal Physics — Daniel Schroeder

Physics — Statistical Mechanics · avogadro-number-estimation

Problem

Pretend that you live in the 19th century and don't know the value of Avogadro's number (or of Boltzmann's constant or of the mass or size of any molecule). Show how you could make a rough estimate of Avogadro's number from a measurement of the thermal conductivity of a gas, together with other measurements that are relatively easy.

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