Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that deals with heat, work, temperature, and entropy. It governs everything from the efficiency of engines to the fate of the universe. The four laws of thermodynamics are among the most fundamental and universally applicable principles in all of physics.
Statistical mechanics, developed by Boltzmann, Maxwell, and Gibbs in the late 19th century, explains thermodynamics from the bottom up — showing how the macroscopic properties of matter (temperature, pressure, entropy) emerge from the microscopic behavior of atoms and molecules. Boltzmann's insight that entropy equals k_B × ln(W) connects the deterministic world of particles to the probabilistic arrow of time.
These simulations let you explore the key ideas of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics: watch entropy increase in real time, see how molecular speeds distribute according to Maxwell-Boltzmann, understand why no engine can beat Carnot efficiency, and confront the mind-bending Boltzmann brain paradox.