Suppose a box contains about 5.0 × 10²¹ hydrogen atoms at room temperature (21°C). Determine the thermal energy of these atoms.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the formula for thermal energy of a gas:
E = (3/2)NkT
where E is the thermal energy, N is the number of particles, k is the Boltzmann constant (1.38 × 10^-23 J/K), and T is the temperature in kelvins.

Plugging in the given values, we get:
E = (3/2)(5.0 × 10^21)(1.38 × 10^-23)(294) = 30 J

Therefore, the best choice is C, with an explanation as shown above.

Suppose a Box Contains About 5