The kinetic interpretation of temperature is a fundamental concept in statistical mechanics. Consider two different gases, Gas A and Gas B, at the same temperature. Gas A consists of molecules with twice the mass of those in Gas B. Compare the average kinetic energies of molecules in Gas A and Gas B.
1
70
96
88
In the kinetic theory of gases, the average kinetic energy of a gas molecule is given by:
Where: - is the Boltzmann constant (1.38 × J/K) - T is the temperature in Kelvin
Since both gases are at the same temperature ( = ), we can compare the average kinetic energies of Gas A and Gas B by considering the masses of their molecules.
Given that the molecules in Gas A have twice the mass of those in Gas B ( = 2), we can calculate the ratio of their average kinetic energies:
This implies that the ratio of the average kinetic energies is 1, which means that the molecules in Gas A and Gas B have the same average kinetic energy despite the difference in their masses.
Therefore, the average kinetic energies of molecules in Gas A and Gas B are equal.
This result highlights the principle that temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles in a substance, regardless of their masses.
Therefore, the correct option is 1.