Kinetic Molecular Theory of Gases

The kinetic molecular theory of gases is a theoretical model that explains WHY gases behave the way the gas laws describe, purely in terms of the motion of their particles. Its assumptions are: (1) gases are made of tiny discrete particles (atoms or molecules); (2) on average, these particles are far apart from one another, so the actual volume occupied by the particles themselves is negligible compared to the total volume of the container -- which is why gases are so easily compressed; (3) at ordinary temperature and pressure, the attractive forces between gas particles are negligible, so a gas naturally expands to fill the whole of its container; (4) gas particles are in constant, random motion in straight lines in every possible direction, continually colliding with each other and with the container walls; (5) the pressure a gas exerts is the direct result of these particle-wall collisions; (6) all collisions, whether particle-particle or particle-wall, are perfectly elastic, meaning no kinetic energy is lost overall in a collision; and (7) at any given instant different gas particles move with different speeds and hence h …