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JIMonroe
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Attempted to clarify thermodynamic limit a little more.
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paper/basic_training.tex

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@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ \subsubsection{Key concepts}
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The concept of the thermodynamic limit is particularly important here.
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Specifically, as the size of a finite system is increased, keeping the particle number density roughly constant, at some point it is said to reach the thermodynamic limit where its behavior is bulk-like and no longer depends on the extent of the system.
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Thus, small systems will exhibit unique behaviors that reflect their microscopic size, but sufficiently large systems are said to have reached the thermodynamic limit and macroscopic thermodynamics applied.
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This is due to the fact that the effect of interfaces or boundaries have largely been removed, and that averages of system properties are now over a sufficiently large number of molecules that any instantaneous snapshot of the system roughly corresponds to average behavior (i.e. fluctuations in system properties become negligible).
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This is due to the fact that the effect of interfaces or boundaries have largely been removed, and, more importantly, that averages of system properties are now over a sufficiently large number of molecules that any instantaneous snapshot of the system roughly corresponds to average behavior (i.e. fluctuations in properties become negligible with increasing system size).
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Although we usually think of thermodynamics applying macroscopically and statistical mechanics applying on the microsopic level, it is important to remember that the laws of thermodynamics still hold \textit{on average} regardless of the length scale.
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That is, a molecule in contact with a thermal bath will exchange energy with the bath, but its average energy is a well-defined constant.

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