Ideal-gas theory predicts a specific dependence of molecular speeds on temperature…
CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · AP · Chemistry · Properties of Substances and Mixtures · Properties of Substances and Mixtures
Problem
Ideal-gas theory predicts a specific dependence of molecular speeds on temperature and molecular mass.
Respond to each of the following prompts related to this prediction.
(a) Explain why, for an ideal gas held at fixed temperature, the root-mean-square speed of its molecules is independent of the gas’s pressure.
(b) Qualitatively describe how doubling the absolute temperature of a fixed amount of ideal gas affects both the magnitude of v_rms and the shape of the Maxwell-Boltzmann speed distribution.
(c) Provide a conceptual explanation, without numerical calculation, for why molecules of a gas with larger molar mass move more slowly on average than molecules of a gas with smaller molar mass when both samples are at the same temperature.