For a monatomic gas,3R/2 is A)the specific heat per mole at constant volume. B)the specific heat per unit mass at constant volume. C)N_Ak_B. D)none of the above.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the equipartition theorem, each degree of freedom of a monatomic gas contributes 1/2R to the molar specific heat at constant volume. A monatomic gas has three translational degrees of freedom, so the molar specific heat at constant volume is 3/2R. Therefore, 3R/2 is the specific heat per mole at constant volume.

For a Monatomic Gas,3R/2 Is