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Example · Example 3

Q.A sample of nitrogen gas is at temperature T1=300 KT_1 = 300\ \text{K}. At what temperature T2T_2 would the RMS speed of its molecules be double the value at T1T_1?

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✓ Free question

Since vrms=3RT/Mv_{rms} = \sqrt{3RT/M}, for a fixed gas (fixed MM) vrms∝Tv_{rms} \propto \sqrt{T}. Writing this as a ratio between the two states,

vrms,2vrms,1=T2T1\frac{v_{rms,2}}{v_{rms,1}} = \sqrt{\frac{T_2}{T_1}}

Given vrms,2=2vrms,1v_{rms,2} = 2v_{rms,1},

2=T2T1⟹T2T1=4⟹T2=4T1=4×300=1200 K2 = \sqrt{\frac{T_2}{T_1}} \quad \Longrightarrow \quad \frac{T_2}{T_1} = 4 \quad \Longrightarrow \quad T_2 = 4T_1 = 4 \times 300 = 1200\ \text{K}

✓Final answer

The RMS speed doubles only when the absolute temperature quadruples, so T2=1200 KT_2 = 1200\ \text{K}.

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