PHY 212: Kinetic Theory of Ideal Gases

Kinetic Theory of Ideal Gases

• A gas is composed of a large number of molecules that are in continuous random motion and possess kinetic energy.
• All molecules of a gas are identical in size, shape, and mass.
• The volume of individual gas molecules is very small compared to the total volume of the gas, hence it's considered negligible.
• There are no attractive or repulsive forces between molecules except during collisions.
• Collisions between gas molecules, as well as collisions with the walls of the container, are perfectly elastic, meaning there is no net loss of total kinetic energy.
• Molecules obey Newton's laws of motion and move in random directions with a range of speeds.
• The time of collision between molecules is very small compared to the time between successive collisions.

Ideal Gas Pressure

• The pressure exerted by an ideal gas on the walls of its container is due to the frequent and random collisions of the gas molecules.
• The pressure (P) is calculated using the formula: P = (1/3) * (N/V) * m * , where N is the number of molecules, V is the volume of the container, m is the mass of a molecule, and is the mean square speed of the molecules.

This quiz covers the postulates of the kinetic theory of ideal gases, including the assumptions about the behavior of gas molecules.