Learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• relate the temperature of a solid to the mean kinetic energy of its atoms

• use models for thermally induced effects that involve linear, exponential and step changes

• use exponentials, logarithms and graphical methods to interpret data from a thermally activated process in terms of Arrhenius's law

• identify the changes of phase taking place in a variety of critical phenomena

• provide examples of gradual, accelerating and sudden changes in the properties of materials that accompany changes in temperature.