DP Physics (first assessment 2025)

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Question EXE.2.HL.TZ0.13a

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Date Example questions Example questions Marks available [Maximum mark: 3] Reference code EXE.2.HL.TZ0.13a
Level HL Paper 2 Time zone TZ0
Command term Outline Question number a Adapted from N/A
a.
[Maximum mark: 3]
EXE.2.HL.TZ0.13a
(a)

Outline, using these two cases as examples, the distinction between a microstate and a macrostate.

[3]

Markscheme

Idea that a microstate is one (unique) arrangement of a system assuming that each entity in the system is distinguishable OWTTE ✓ 

Idea that a macrostate is an arrangement of microstates which have an identical outcome when individuals are not treated as distinguishable ✓   

Suitable link to this example: e.g. there is only one arrangement (macrostate) in which there are 49 molecules in one container even though there are 50 (microstates or) ways to arrange this ✓ 

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