Physics With Illustrative Examples From Medicine and Biology (2^nd Ed., 2nd ed. 2000) Statistical Physics Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering Series

A reissue of a classic book, corrected, edited, and typeset, to be published in the Biological Physics Series. Intended for undergraduate courses in biophysics, biological physics, physiology, medical physics, and biomedical engineering, this book is an introduction to statistical physics with examples and problems from the medical and biological sciences. Topics include the elements of the theory of probability, Poisson statistics, thermal equilibrium, entropy and free energy, and the second law of thermodynamics. Chapters include problems and references. The book can be used as a supplement to standard introductory physics courses, and as a text for medical schools, medical physics courses, and biology departments. The three volumes combined present all the major topics in physics. Originally published in 1974 from the authors's typescript, this reissue will be edited, corrected, typeset, the art redrawn, and an index added. These books are being reissued by Springer in the Biological Physics Series in response to frequent requests to provide these texts to satisfy the growing need among students and practitioners in the medical and biological sciences with a working knowledge of the physical sciences. The books are also in demand in physics departments either as supplements to traditional intro texts or as main text for those departments offering courses with biological or medical physics orientation. A solutions manual will be available. The authors are recognized experts in the field, and are under contract for an upperlevel/grad text in biological physics. Benedeck was the recepient of the 1995 Irving Lanmuir Prize from the American Physical Society for Chemical Physics, and the 1994 Biological Physics Prize by the American Physical Society.

1 Elements of the Theory of Probability: The Binomial Distribution: Applications.- 1.1 Definition of Probability. The Two Rules. Illustrative Examples.- 1.2 Bernoulli Trials. The Binomial Distribution.- 1.3 Mean Values and Variance.- 1.4 Illustrative Applications.- 1.5 References and Supplementary Reading.- 1.6 Problems.- 2 Diffusion and Transport Processes.- 2.1 Molecular Movement and the Physical Properties of Gases: A Short Survey.- 2.2 Random Walk in One and Three Dimensions.- 2.3 The Diffusion Equation.- 2.4 Particle Conservation, Particle Current, and Fick’s Law.- 2.5 Flow and Diffusion of Particles Under the Action of External Forces and Collisions with Solvent Molecules.- 2.6 Flow of Solute and Solvent Across a Membrane in the Presence of Both Pressure and Concentration Gradients.- 2.Al Derivation of the Relation (2-6): Total Kinetic Energy = 3/2p V.- 2.A2 Proof of the Equipartition Law for a “Test Particle” of Mass M in a Gas at Temperature T.- 2.A3 Gaussian Integrals.- 2.7 References and Supplementary Reading.- 2.8 Problems.- 3 Poisson Statistics.- 3.1 Introduction.- 3.2 Derivation of the Poisson Probability Distribution.- 3.3 Properties of the Poisson Distribution.- 3.4 Poisson Statistics and the Detection of Light by the Eye.- 3.5 The Luria-Delbrück Experiment: Mutation as the Source of Bacterial Immunity to Virus Attack.- 3.6 References and Supplementary Reading.- 3.7 Problems.- 4 Thermal Equilibrium. The Boltzmann Factor. Entropy and Free Energy. The Second Law of Thermodynamics. Application to Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.- 4.1 The Statistical Nature of Thermal Equilibrium.- 4.2 The Probability Distribution of Energy. The Boltzmann Factor.- 4.3 Macroscopic Statement of Equilibrium Conditions. Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics, MinimumPrinciple for Free Energy. Chemical Potentials.- 4.4 Applications of the Equilibrium Conditions to Problems in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.- 4.Al Multinomial Coefficients: Weight of a Macrostate for the Einstein Crystal.- 4.A2 Occupancy of Microcells by Atoms of an Ideal Gas.- 4.A3 The Equipartition Theorem of Classical Statistical Mechanics.- 4.5 References and Supplementary Reading.- 4.6 Problems.- Table of Important Constants.- Table of Units and Conversion Factors.- 4.6.A. Units of Length.- 4.6.B. Units of Area and Volume.- 4.6.C. Units of Force.- 4.6.D. Units of Pressure.- 4.6.E. Units of Energy.