Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 19, 2026

An Analog Macroscopic Technique for Studying Molecular Hydrodynamic Processes in Dense Gases and Liquids
Published on: December 4, 2017
Unlikely Fluctuations and Non-Equilibrium Work Theorems-A Simple Example
1Department of Physics, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
Abstract:
An exciting development in statistical mechanics has been the elucidation of a series of surprising equalities involving the work done during a nonequilibrium process. Astumian has presented an elegant example of such an equality, involving a colloidal particle undergoing Brownian motion in the presence of gravity. We analyze this example; its simplicity, and its link to geometric Brownian motion, allows us to clarify the inner workings of the equality. Our analysis explicitly shows the important role played by large, unlikely fluctuations.
More Related Videos
08:43A Fluorescence Fluctuation Spectroscopy Assay of Protein-Protein Interactions at Cell-Cell Contacts
Published on: December 1, 2018
11:00Experimental Investigation of Secondary Flow Structures Downstream of a Model Type IV Stent Failure in a 180° Curved Artery Test Section
Published on: July 19, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Quantifying Work
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
The relation between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
Classical Mechanics
Limits of the First Law of Thermodynamics
The Second Law of Thermodynamics