The following graph shows the distribution of molecular speeds for CO₂ at four different temperatures. Which of the curves corresponds to the lowest temperature?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The curve a corresponds to the lowest temperature because it has the most spread out distribution of speeds, indicating lower kinetic energy and therefore lower temperature. The other curves have narrower distributions, indicating higher temperatures.

The Following Graph Shows the Distribution of Molecular Speeds for CO2

The Following Graph Shows the Distribution of Molecular Speeds for CO₂