If the absolute temperature of a gas is doubled, what is the change in the average kinetic energy of its molecules?
A) no change
B) increases by a factor of 2
C) decreases by a factor of 2
D) increases by a factor of
E) decreases by a factor of

Question

If the absolute temperature of a gas is doubled, what is the change in the average kinetic energy of its molecules?
A) no change 
B) increases by a factor of 2 
C) decreases by a factor of 2 
D) increases by a factor of 
E) decreases by a factor of

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average kinetic energy of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature. Therefore, if the absolute temperature is doubled, the average kinetic energy of the gas molecules will also double. This is because absolute temperature is measured on a scale where zero is the temperature at which all thermal motion ceases, so doubling the temperature means that the thermal motion of the molecules has increased by a factor of 2.

If the Absolute Temperature of a Gas Is Doubled, What