The average kinetic energy of the particles of a gas is directly proportional to _ .
A) the square of the particle mass
B) the particle mass
C) the square root of the rms speed
D) the square of the rms speed
E) the rms speed

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the kinetic theory of gases, the average kinetic energy of the particles of a gas is proportional to the temperature of the gas, which is directly proportional to the square of the root-mean-square speed of the particles. Therefore, the answer is D, as it is the square of the rms speed.

The Average Kinetic Energy of the Particles of a Gas