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Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon
written by Todd Timberlake
The EJS Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon model simulates a two-dimensional ideal gas in a square box, monitored by Maxwell's Demon (which allows only faster than average particles to move from the right side to the left side, while allowing only slower than average particles to move the other way).   This simulation can be used as part of the activity described in "The Statistical Interpretation of Entropy: An Activity" by Todd Timberlake, to be published in The Physics Teacher.

In the model, the particles are initially spread throughout the box with random positions and random velocities (with a Maxwell distribution of speeds). One window shows an animation of the motion of the particles in the box, while another window plots the temperature of the gas on each side of the box as a function of time.  The user can turn the Demon on/off, or reverse the velocities of all particles.  You can modify this simulation if you have EJS installed by right-clicking within the plot and selecting "Open Ejs Model" from the pop-up menu item.

EJS Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon model was created using the Easy Java Simulations (EJS) modeling tool.  It is distributed as a ready-to-run (compiled) Java archive.   Double clicking the ejs_entropy_IdealGasMaxwellsDemon.jar file will run the program if  Java is installed.  EJS is a part of the Open Source Physics Project and is designed to make it easier to access, modify, and generate computer models.  Additional EJS models are available.  They can be found by searching ComPADRE for  Open Source Physics, OSP, or EJS.

Please note that this resource requires at least version 1.5 of Java (JRE).
1 source code document is available
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Thermo & Stat Mech
- Kinetic and Diffusive Processes
= Approach to Equilibrium
- Models
= Ideal Gas
- Second and Third Law
= Entropy
- Lower Undergraduate
- High School
- Upper Undergraduate
- Instructional Material
= Interactive Simulation
Intended Users Formats Ratings
- Learners
- Educators
- application/java
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Access Rights:
Free access
License:
This material is released under a GNU General Public License Version 2 license.
Merlot:
pending
Keywords:
EJS, Easy Java Simulations, Maxwell's Demon, OSP, Open Source Physics, entropy, equilibrium, ideal gas, second law of thermodynamics
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created June 18, 2010 by Todd Timberlake
Record Updated:
June 9, 2014 by Andreu Glasmann
Last Update
when Cataloged:
June 18, 2010
Other Collections:

ComPADRE is beta testing Citation Styles!

Record Link
AIP Format
T. Timberlake, Computer Program IDEAL GAS WITH MAXWELL'S DEMON (2010), WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10096&DocID=1705).
AJP/PRST-PER
T. Timberlake, Computer Program IDEAL GAS WITH MAXWELL'S DEMON (2010), <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10096&DocID=1705>.
APA Format
Timberlake, T. (2010). Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon [Computer software]. Retrieved December 5, 2024, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10096&DocID=1705
Chicago Format
Timberlake, Todd. "Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon." https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10096&DocID=1705 (accessed 5 December 2024).
MLA Format
Timberlake, Todd. Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon. Computer software. 2010. Java (JRE) 1.5. 5 Dec. 2024 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10096&DocID=1705>.
BibTeX Export Format
@misc{ Author = "Todd Timberlake", Title = {Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon}, Month = {June}, Year = {2010} }
Refer Export Format

%A Todd Timberlake %T Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon %D June 18, 2010 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10096&DocID=1705 %O application/java

EndNote Export Format

%0 Computer Program %A Timberlake, Todd %D June 18, 2010 %T Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon %8 June 18, 2010 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=10096&DocID=1705


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The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

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Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon:

Is Based On Easy Java Simulations Modeling and Authoring Tool

The Easy Java Simulations Modeling and Authoring Tool is needed to explore the computational model used in the Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon.

relation by Wolfgang Christian
Is Part Of Statistical Interpretation of Entropy Package

Ideal Gas with Maxwell's Demon is part of the Statistical Interpretation of Entropy package.

relation by Todd Timberlake

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