Equipartition theorem (overview)

The equipartition theorem states that the total energy of a system of particles at thermal equilibrium is equally divided amongst all the energy components of motion of the particles, resulting in the average value of each energy component of the particles being the same.

We classify the components of motion into three types: translational, rotational and vibrational motions. The theorem is applicable to systems where no electronic transitions occur, usually at .

 

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