Boltzmann distribution

Interactive simulation of the Boltzmann distribution, showing how temperature and the energy difference between adjacent levels affect energy-level occupation probabilities.

The relative occupation probability of two energy levels follows the Boltzmann distribution, P₂/P₁ = exp(−ΔE/k_BT): the greater the energy difference ΔE relative to the thermal energy k_BT, the lower the occupation of the excited level—the principle behind phenomena such as the population inversion required for laser operation.

Marco P. M. de Souza