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

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average kinetic energy of the particles of a gas is directly proportional to the square of the rms speed. This is because the kinetic energy of a particle is proportional to its velocity squared, and the rms speed accounts for the velocity distribution of the particles in the gas. Thus, the average kinetic energy is proportional to the average of the squares of the particles' velocities, which is the square of the rms speed.

The Average Kinetic Energy of the Particles of a Gas