13: The Kinetic Theory of Gases
- Page ID
- 426490
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- 13.1: The Average Translational Kinetic Energy of a Gas
- The gas laws were derived from empirical observations. Connecting these laws to fundamental properties of gas particles is subject of great interest. The kinetic molecular theory is one such approach. In its modern form, the kinetic molecular theory of gases is based on five basic postulates. This section will describe the development of the ideal gas law using these five postulates.
- 13.2: The Distribution of Molecular Speeds is Given by the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution
- If we were to plot the number of molecules whose velocities fall within a series of narrow ranges, we would obtain a slightly asymmetric curve known as a velocity distribution. The peak of this curve would correspond to the most probable velocity. This velocity distribution curve is known as the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, but is frequently referred to only by Boltzmann's name.
- 13.3: Mean Free Path
- The mean free path is the distance a particle will travel, on average, before experiencing a collision event. This is defined as the product of the speed of a particle and the time between collisions.
- 13.4: Rates of Gas-Phase Chemical Reactions
- The rate law of a gas-phase reaction can be derived using collision theory. The rate of the reaction depends on the rate of collisions with sufficient kinetic energy that exceeds the activation energy.