Two containers hold an ideal gas at the same temperature and pressure. Both containers hold the same type of gas, but container B has twice the volume of container A.What is the average translational kinetic energy per molecule in container B?
Correct answer: B. The same as that of container A
- A. Twice that of container A
- B. The same as that of container A
- C. Half that of container A
- D. Impossible to determine
Explanation
The average translational kinetic energy per molecule in an ideal gas depends only on its temperature and is given by the equation:KE_avg = (3/2)kTwhere KE_avg is the average kinetic energy, k is the Boltzmann constant, and T is the temperature in Kelvin.In this case, both containers hold the same type of gas at the same temperature, so the value of T is the same for both containers.Since container B has twice the volume of container A, the number of molecules in container B is also twice that of container A (assuming the amount of gas is the same). Therefore, the total kinetic energy of the molecules in container B is twice that of container A.However, since the average kinetic energy per molecule depends only on temperature, and temperature is the same for both containers, the average translational kinetic energy per molecule is the same for both containers.So, the correct answer is B) The same as that of container A.
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Thermal equilibrium means that bodies in contact have the same temperature and no net heat flows between them. The topic distinguishes heat from temperature, uses the zeroth law of thermodynamics, and covers heat transfer, specific heat capacity, thermal expansion and the conditions for reaching equilibrium.
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