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III. Long Answer Questions · Q3

Q.Explain in detail the kinetic interpretation of temperature.

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✓ Free question

Step 1. From the kinetic-theory pressure result, PV=13Nmv2‾PV=\tfrac13Nm\overline{v^2} (Eq. 9.7).

Step 2. Comparing with the ideal gas equation, PV=NkTPV=NkT, gives NkT=13Nmv2‾NkT=\tfrac13Nm\overline{v^2}, i.e. kT=13mv2‾kT=\tfrac13m\overline{v^2}.

Step 3. Multiplying both sides by 3/23/2: 32kT=12mv2‾=KE‾\tfrac32kT=\tfrac12m\overline{v^2}=\overline{KE}, the average translational kinetic energy of a single molecule.

Step 4. This says temperature IS a direct measure of average molecular kinetic energy -- doubling the absolute temperature doubles the average kinetic energy per molecule.

Step 5. Crucially, this average kinetic energy per molecule depends ONLY on temperature, never on the molecule's mass -- a heavy molecule and a light molecule at the same temperature carry the same average kinetic energy (the lighter one simply moves faster to compensate).

Step 6. Multiplying by the total number of molecules NN gives the gas's total internal energy, U=32NkT=32μRTU=\tfrac32NkT=\tfrac32\mu RT, which depends only on absolute temperature, not on pressure or volume.

✓Final answer

KE‾=32kT\overline{KE}=\tfrac32kT; temperature measures average translational kinetic energy per molecule and internal energy U=32NkTU=\tfrac32NkT depends only on T.

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