Dulong–Petit law for molar heat capacity of many solids at high temperature

E287399

The Dulong–Petit law states that many crystalline solids have an approximately constant molar heat capacity of about 3R at sufficiently high temperatures, reflecting classical equipartition of energy among atomic vibrations.

All labels observed (1)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf empirical law ⓘ
law of solid-state physics ⓘ
thermodynamic law ⓘ
appliesTo many crystalline solids ⓘ
monatomic crystalline solids ⓘ
approachedAsLimit high-temperature limit of the Debye model ⓘ
high-temperature limit of the Einstein model ⓘ
assumes classical behavior of atomic vibrations ⓘ
each atom in a solid has three translational degrees of freedom ⓘ
each vibrational degree of freedom contributes kB to energy per atom ⓘ
harmonic approximation for atomic vibrations ⓘ
basedOn classical equipartition theorem ⓘ
concerns heat capacity of solids ⓘ
lattice vibrations ⓘ
explains approximate constancy of molar heat capacity of many solids at high temperature ⓘ
failsAt low temperatures ⓘ
field solid-state physics ⓘ
statistical mechanics ⓘ
thermodynamics ⓘ
historicalContext formulated in the early 19th century ⓘ
holdsBestFor heavy metallic elements ⓘ
simple monatomic metals ⓘ
impliesPerAtomHeatCapacity 3kB ⓘ
involvesConstant Boltzmann constant kB ⓘ
linked to: Boltzmann constant

universal gas constant R ⓘ
isClassicalApproximationOf quantum theory of lattice vibrations ⓘ
limitationsInclude deviations for covalent crystals like diamond ⓘ
deviations for light-element solids ⓘ
deviations for solids with low Debye temperature ⓘ
mathematicalForm Cv,m ≈ 3R ⓘ
molarHeatCapacityApproximateNumericalValue 24.9 J mol−1 K−1 ⓘ
25 J mol−1 K−1 ⓘ
molarHeatCapacityValue 3R ⓘ
namedAfter Alexis Thérèse Petit ⓘ
Pierre Louis Dulong ⓘ
predicts constant molar heat capacity for many solids at high temperature ⓘ
relatedConcept Debye model of solids ⓘ
linked to: Debye model

Einstein model of solids ⓘ
linked to: Debye model
relatesQuantity gas constant R ⓘ
molar heat capacity at constant volume ⓘ
states the molar heat capacity at constant volume is approximately 3R ⓘ
temperatureRegime high temperature ⓘ
usedFor estimating atomic weights of elements historically ⓘ
usedIn introductory solid-state physics ⓘ
introductory thermodynamics education ⓘ
validWhen thermal energy kBT is large compared to vibrational quantum energies ⓘ
yearProposed 1819 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

equipartition theorem → implies → Dulong–Petit law for molar heat capacity of many solids at high temperature ⓘ