statistical mechanics

noun

plural in form but usually singular in construction

: a branch of mechanics dealing with the application of the principles of statistics to the mechanics of a system consisting of a large number of parts having motions that differ by small steps over a large range

Examples of statistical mechanics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Andy is one of the pioneers of inflation, and these days has been thinking about the foundations of cosmology, which brings you smack up against other foundational issues in fields like statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics. —Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 16 Apr. 2012

This led to the development of statistical mechanics, which was also wildly successful. —Sean Carroll, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2011

Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics are the powerful methods physics has developed to derive the properties of bodies—such as their temperature and pressure—from the basic behavior of their atoms and molecules, using probability. —Frank Wilczek, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2022

Ergodicity is a crucial concept in statistical mechanics, which (for example) deduces the behavior of a large volume of gas from the motions of its uncountable individual molecules. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 18 Mar. 2022

For these unruly systems, statistical mechanics falls short in representing phase transitions. —Quanta Magazine, 11 Nov. 2021

Mathematically, these systems are elegantly described with statistical mechanics, the branch of physics that explains how collections of objects behave. —Quanta Magazine, 11 Nov. 2021

But all these extra energy sources and mismatched reactions make for a complex dynamical system beyond the reach of statistical mechanics. —Quanta Magazine, 11 Nov. 2021

In the parlance of statistical mechanics, this is known as a scale-free correlation. —Brandon Keim, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above