If the temperature of an ideal gas contained in a box is increased
A)the average velocity of the molecules in the box will be increased.
B)the average speed of the molecules in the box will be increased.
C)the distance between molecules in the box will be increased.
D)all of the above.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Increasing the temperature of an ideal gas will increase the kinetic energy of its molecules, which means the average speed of the molecules will increase. The average velocity is a vector quantity, so it can change direction as well as speed, whereas the average speed is a scalar quantity and only represents the magnitude of the velocity. The distance between molecules in the box will not be increased as the volume of the box remains constant. Therefore, option A and C are not correct.

If the Temperature of an Ideal Gas Contained in a Box