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microstates

In statistical mechanics, a microstate refers to a specific configuration of a system at a microscopic level. For example, for a system of particles, a microstate specifies the position and momentum of each particle.

The number of microstates, denoted by $W$, is related to the entropy $S$ of the system through Boltzmann's formula:

$$ S = k_B \ln W $$

where:

  • $S$: Entropy
  • $k_B$: Boltzmann constant
  • $W$: Number of microstates

A higher number of microstates corresponds to a higher degree of disorder or randomness in the system.