ABSTRACT
The simplest application of statistical mechanics is finding the pressure of a gas in terms of its other properties. The pressure a gas exerts on the walls of its container is the perpendicular force on the wall divided by the area on which the force is applied [Equation (8.6)]. From a microscopic viewpoint, the force is caused by the transfer of momentum of the particles to the wall per unit time (Box 7.2.1). This transfer occurs when the particles collide with the wall of the container. The following example should shed some light on the discussion.
