Re: [Phys-l] Gibbs paradox

[brian whatcott <betwys1@sbcglobal.net>]

On 3/30/2011 2:46 PM, Carl Mungan wrote:
> > But I could not qualify as a physicist in any reasonable way, and so I
> > feel quite comfortable in saying that an ideal gas of distinguishable
> > particles  does not  fit my prejudiced perception of a possible  entity,
> > so that I do not feel any obligation to attempt to understand the
> > development of a related thesis.
> >
> > Hope this was a help?   :-)
> Yes. I believe you're saying it's hard to imagine a gas of
> distinguishable particles.
>
> True enough for a gas composed of one mole of particles.
>
> But now make it say 5000 atoms (I still need N large enough for
> Stirling to be valid and factors of 1 to be negligible) which you're
> simulating in a program. Since it's all classical, you're keeping
> track of each particle one by one.
>
> What will your computer program calculate for the equilibrated
> entropy and why? Express your answer in terms of N,T,V.
>
> Does this scenario make the situation more physically concrete? -Carl

Here is my difficulty: I assert it is absolutely and utterly impossible 
to distinguish individual particles of an elemental gas of one isotope 
from any reasonable gas agglomeration.
I assert it is reasonably practical to distinguish a particle of one 
elemental gas from a particle of a different elemental gas.
I conclude by asserting that if one arranges a simulation of a gas of 
particles so that one CAN distinguish an individual particle (by an 
array index, for example) then this is a model which is not physically 
representative of an elemental gas.

Brian W