Kinetic Theory
In Our Time: Science
The Evolution of the Kinetic Theory
When Maxwell devised his theory, he'd done so on the assumption that the gas was in thermal equilibrium. But Boltzmann looked at if you weren't already in that state, how it would get to that state. He found a way of assigning a probability to each sort of state of the gas through the concept of entropy. Entropy was increasing as randomness within the gas became more probable. The equilibrium state was the most probable state. So that was where it was likely to end up and that was how a gas might move from an initially non-equilibrium state through to the equilibrium state. Steve, Ramon, you wanted to come in? Yes indeed. You're Maxwell's
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