The GATE Grind

GATE Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics: macrostates and microstates – Previous Year Questions

4 GATE previous year questions on macrostates and microstates (Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, Physics) with answers and explanations, from every paper.

  1. GATE 2023 PH Q63 (2 marks, Numerical answer) – Consider 6 identical, non-interacting, spin 1 2 atoms arranged on a crystal lattice at absolute temperature T. The z-component of the magnetic moment…
  2. GATE 2026 PH Q53 (2 marks, Multiple select) – Consider the distribution of outcomes generated by N (N≫1) independent throws of (i) a coin or (ii) a six-sided dice. A coin (dice) is unbiased if…
  3. GATE 2025 PH Q42 (2 marks, Multiple choice) – Consider a two-level system with energies +,- and populations N +,N -. The total energy is E and particle number is N=N ++N -. In the thermodynamic…
  4. GATE 2024 PH Q44 (2 marks, Multiple select) – An infinite one-dimensional lattice has spin-half ions at every site, pointing only along +z or −z. Denote entropies of paramagnetic, ferromagnetic…