Two ideal monatomic gases are in thermal equilibrium with each other.Gas A is composed of molecules with mass m while gas B is composed of molecules with mass 4m.The ratio of the average molecular speeds v_A/v_B is: A)1/4 B)1/2 C)1 D)2 E)4

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average molecular speed of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molecular mass. Since gas B has molecules with mass 4m, the speed ratio v_A/v_B is √(4m/m) = √4 = 2.

Two Ideal Monatomic Gases Are in Thermal Equilibrium with Each