Kinetic Theory of Gases

Name: Mr.Burnett
Date: 6/04/18
Class: 6B
 List of useful formulae
O n (# of moles of the gas) = Mg / Mm = total Mass of gas / Molar mass

O Avogadro’s constant, NA = 6.023 x 1023 particles per mole

O N / n = NA (# of gas molecules per mole)

O R / NA = k (Boltzmann constant = 1.38 x 10-23 J/K)

O R = universal molar gas constant = 8.31 J mol-1 K-1

O m= Mm / NA ; mass of one molecule of gas

 Ideal gas equation
O Theoretically, an ideal gas is one in which all
the collisions between atoms and molecules
are perfectly elastic and there are no
intermolecular forces present. In reality,
however, there is no such thing as an ideal gas.

Where, p= pressure (Pa or N/m2 )

V = volume (m3)
n = number of moles
R = molar gas constant (8.31 J mol-1 K-1)
T = temperature in Kelvin (K)
 Ideal gas Equation
O pV = nRT; since n = N /NA & R = k .NA

PV = N x (kNA) x T ; NA cancels
NA

Thus, PV = NkT, where

N = # of gas molecules
E.g 1
O A cylinder of volume 2.00 x 10-3 m3 contains a gas at
a pressure of 1.50MNm-2 and at a temperature of
300K. Calculate:
O a) The number of moles of the gas
O b) The number of molecules of the gas
O c) The mass of the gas if molar mass, Mm = 32.0 x 10-
3 kg

O d) The mass of one molecule of the gas.

O (Given: R = 8.31 J mol-1 K-1 and NA = 6.02 x 1023
mol).
Solution
a) Transposing the ideal gas equation, pV = nRT, for n (the number of
moles),
n = pV
RT
n = (1.5 x 106 x 2 x 10-3 )
8.31 x 300
n = 1.20moles

b) Since 1 mole of a gas contains Avogadro’s constant (6.02 x 10 23

molecules, 1.20 moles contain:
1.20 x 6.02 x 1023 molecules = 7.22 x 1023 molecules

c) Given, Mm = 32.0 x 10-3 kg and we know n = 1.2moles, we can therefore

find the mass of the gas,
Mg = nMm
Mg = 1.2 x 32 x 10-3
Mg = 38.4 x 10-3kg
Solution cont…
d) Mm = NA x m
m = Mm
NA
m = 32 x 10-3 kg
6.02 x 1023

m = 5.32 x 10-26 kg
 Basic Assumptions of Kinetic
Theory
O A gas consists of a large number of identical molecules
O Intermolecular collisions and those between molecules and the
container walls are perfectly elastic (i.e there is no loss of kinetic
energy (KE)
O Intermolecular forces are negligible (except during collisions) and
the effect of gravity is ignored. As a result, the molecules move in
straight lines at constant speed and their direction of motion is
random.
O Their collision time is negligible compared with the time spent by a
molecule between collisions.
O The volume of the molecules is negligible compared with that of the
gas
O Newton’s laws of motion can be applied.
Pressure exerted by a gas
O When the molecules of a gas collide with the walls of
the container, the force (F) exerted per unit area (A) by
each molecule gives rise to pressure on the container
walls. If the number of molecules, their masses and
their speeds (rate of change of momentum)increase,
with the volume of the container fixed, then the
pressure of the gas will also increase as we will now see
in the following derivation.
 Derive:

l
O Consider a single molecule of mass (m)
moving towards face 1 with an x-component
of velocity (cx).
 derivation
O Momentum in the x-direction = mcx

O At face1 the molecule has a perfectly elastic collision and its

momentum is reversed so that after collision
new momentum = -mcx
O Therefore change in momentum = 2mcx

O As the molecule travels in straight lines, the distance travelled

before it again collides with face1 is: 2l
 derivation
O The time taken to travel 2l is:
O t =2l/cx

O Now from Newton’s 2nd law:

O Force exerted by wall = rate of change of momentum
O F= 2mcx /t = 2mcx / (2l /cx)
O F = mcx2 / l
O According to Newton’s 3rd law the force exerted by the
molecule on the wall is equal but oppositely directed to that
exerted by the wall
 derivation
Pressure, P = F/ A
P = (mcx2 / l) / l2
P = mcx2 /l3
If there a (N) molecules having x-components of velocity cx1, cx2, ...cxN ,
then,
cx2 = (cx12 + cx22 +…+ cxN2 )
The average number of molecules moving in this direction is,
<cx2> = (cx12 + cx22 +…+ cxN2 )
N
N <cx2> = (cx12 + cx22 +…+ cxN2 )
Thus, the total pressure exerted on face 1 is,

P = Nm<cx2>/ l3 , where
<cx2> = mean square speed of molecules in the x-direction
 derivation
O Combining the three component velocities, the resultant
velocity is given by:
O c 2 = cx 2 + cy 2 + cz 2
O <c2> = <cx2> + <cy2> + <cz2>
O Finally, since there are a large number of molecules in random
motion we can assume that there will be equal numbers
moving in each of the three co-ordinate directions:
O <cx2> = <cy2> = <cz2>
O <c2> = 3<cx2>
O <cx2> = 1/3 <c2>
 derivation
P = 1 Nm <c2>
3 V

*PV= 1 Nm<c2>, where,

3
P =pressure of gas (N/m2 or Pa)
V = volume of gas (m3 )
N = number of molecules
m = mass of gas molecule (kg)
<c2> = mean-square speed of gas molecules
(m2/s2)

***N.B ‘<c>’ here is not the speed of light

 Useful formula
O A formula relating the pressure and density of
the gas can also be derived:

O But sir!! Nm/V = ρ (density), where Nm =

total mass of gas. Therefore,
p = pressure of the gas (Pa or N/m2 )
ρ = density of the gas (kgm-3)
<c2> or = = mean square speed of
the gas molecules. (m2 /s2)
Mean Square Speed, <c2>
O The ‘mean square speed’ is found by squaring the individual
speeds of the gas molecules and then finding the average. It is
a very useful quantity as it gives us an indication of the
absolute temperature (<c2> is proportional to T).
O E.g Three molecules have speeds of c= 1 ,2, 3m/s. Find the
mean square speed of the molecules.
O Ans: (1)2 + (2)2 + (3)2 = 1 + 4 + 9 = 14 /3 = 4.67m2/s2.

In short, the mean square speed is the average of the speeds

squared.
Root-mean-square speed(rms speed),
√<c2>
O This is simply the square root of the mean
square speed.
O E.g Eight (8) molecules have the following
speeds: 300,400,400,500,600,600,700,900 ms-
1
. Calculate their rms speed?
O Ans: √ <c2 > = 579m/s
 Derivation
k

O Ideal gas equation: PV = nRT … (1)

O Pressure exerted by a gas = PV = 1 Nm <c2> …
(2)
3
O Equating (1) and (2): 1 Nm <c2> = nRT
3
O
2 N (1 m <c2> )= nRT
3 2

( 1 m <c2> )= 3 n RT
2 2 N
 Avg. Translational K.E
But N/ n = NA = Avogadro’s constant

1 m <c2> = 3 R T
2 2 NA

But R/NA = k, Boltzmann constant

1 m <c2> = Ek = 3 k T
2 2
Ek = Average translational KE of molecules
k k= Boltzmann constant, 1.38 x 10-23 J/K
T = temp. in kelvin (K)
 Relation between Average KE and
Temperature

This equation tells us that the average

translational kinetic energy of molecules in
random motion in an ideal gas is directly
k proportional to the absolute temperature of the
gas
 Easy PQ
O What is the average translational kinetic
energy of molecules in an ideal gas at 370C?

O Ans: Ek = 6.42 x 10-21 J

Total KE of a monatomic gas
Ek = 3 kT
2
But k = R
NA

Ek = 3 RT
2 NA

but 1/NA = n /N
Ek = 3 nRT
2N
For a monatomic (single atom /molecule) gas, N = 1. Therefore,

Ek = 3 nRT
2