Equipartition Theorem

Classical thermal democracy: every quadratic degree of freedom gets the same ½k_BT of energy.

Core Principles & Analysis

• It predicts molar heat capacities like the Dulong-Petit 3R rule for solids.
• Its failure at low temperatures and in blackbody radiation opened the door to quantum theory.
• Each quadratic term — kinetic or potential — claims exactly half a k_BT on average.

Specifications & Metrics

• SYMBOL: ⟨E⟩ = ½k_B·T per DOF