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Phases of Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas and Beyond

Phases of Matter: Solid, Liquid, Gas and Beyond

This course is part of The Physics of Emergence: Introduction to Condensed Matter Specialization

Instructor: Rahul Nandkishore

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

11 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

11 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Define what constitutes a phase of matter.
Interpret phases in terms of symmetries, and describe spontaneous symmetry breaking.
Identify the competition between energy and entropy, and explain how this produces phase transitions.

Skills you'll gain

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Assessments

14 assignments¹

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Taught in English

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This course is part of the The Physics of Emergence: Introduction to Condensed Matter Specialization

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There are 4 modules in this course

Complex systems can exhibit emergent phenomena, wherein the interplay of simple underlying rules governing the constituent parts leads to rich and unexpected behavior of the whole. Condensed matter physics is the branch of physics devoted to understanding such emergence in physical systems. It is the largest subfield of physics, and has developed a wealth of ideas and techniques for taming complexity. The course provides an introduction to this physics of emergence.

Module details

This module introduces the notion of emergent phenomena, and a central application of this notion: phases of matter. We define what constitutes a phase of matter, and explain that there are many phases beyond the familiar trio of solid, liquid, and gas.

What's included

8 videos2 readings4 assignments2 peer reviews4 discussion prompts

8 videosTotal 80 minutes

Emergence11 minutes
The Problem with Brute Force Solution12 minutes
Seeking Simplicity in Complexity7 minutes
Phases of Water10 minutes
Phases of Matter13 minutes
Supplemental: The Thermodynamic Limit9 minutes
Supplemental: Phase Transitions10 minutes
Module 1 Summary8 minutes

2 readingsTotal 4 minutes

Course Updates and Accessibility Support1 minute
Supplemental Content in the Course3 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes

Practice Quiz: Exploring Exponentials10 minutes
Practice Quiz: Phases of Water10 minutes
Practice Quiz: Phases of Matter10 minutes
Graded Quiz: Emergent Phenomena and Phases of Matter20 minutes

2 peer reviewsTotal 30 minutes

Describing Emergent Phenomena 10 minutes
Phases of Matter and the Thermodynamic Limit20 minutes

4 discussion promptsTotal 45 minutes

Introductions and Emergent Phenomena in the Natural World15 minutes
Phases of Matter Discussion10 minutes
Phase Transitions10 minutes
Module 1: What Have We Learned?10 minutes

This module introduces the notion of symmetries, which provide a powerful tool for thinking about phases of matter. It also introduces the notion of spontaneous symmetry breaking.

What's included

8 videos4 assignments1 peer review4 discussion prompts

8 videosTotal 77 minutes

Symmetries: What They Are12 minutes
Symmetries: What They Are Good For6 minutes
Supplemental: Lightning Introduction to Group Theory10 minutes
Fun Aside: Wallpaper Groups4 minutes
Supplemental: Representation Theory8 minutes
Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking14 minutes
Supplemental: Group Theory Applied to Symmetry Breaking8 minutes
Analyzing Phases in Terms of Symmetries and Conclusion14 minutes

4 assignmentsTotal 70 minutes

Practice Quiz: Symmetries10 minutes
Supplemental: Group and Representation Theory30 minutes
Practice Quiz: Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking10 minutes
Graded Quiz: Symmetries and Phases20 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 30 minutes

Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking30 minutes

4 discussion promptsTotal 40 minutes

Uses of Symmetry Discussion10 minutes
Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking10 minutes
Group Theory for Symmetry Breaking Discussion10 minutes
The Landau Paradigm10 minutes

This module introduces the concepts of energy, entropy and explains how the competition between them can drive phase transitions.

What's included

7 videos3 assignments1 peer review2 discussion prompts

7 videosTotal 73 minutes

Introducing Energy16 minutes
Energy and Ordering9 minutes
Entropy14 minutes
Ordering and Entropy10 minutes
Free Energy as Function of Order Parameter13 minutes
Order Parameter Near Phase Transitions7 minutes
Module 3 Summary5 minutes

3 assignmentsTotal 40 minutes

Practice Quiz: Energy10 minutes
Practice Quiz: Entropy Quiz10 minutes
Graded Quiz: Module 320 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 20 minutes

A Paragraph on What Energy is and its Properties20 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

Discussion on Entropy10 minutes
Order Parameter and Phase Transitions Discussion10 minutes

In this module, you will learn a powerful tool for analyzing phases that are classified by symmetries, known as mean field theory. You will learn to apply this tool.