THERMAL

PROPERTIES OF
MATTER
DR. ANIS NAZIHAH BINTI MAT DAUD
KINETIC MOLECULAR MODEL OF
AN IDEAL GAS
• the gas as a large number of particles bouncing around in a closed
container.
KINETIC MOLECULAR MODEL OF
AN IDEAL GAS
The assumption of kinetic molecular model:
•A container with volume V contains a very large number N of identical
molecules, each with mass m.
•The molecules behave as point particles that are small compared to the
size of the container and to the average distance between molecules.
•The molecules are in constant motion. Each molecule collides
occasionally with a wall of the container. These collisions are perfectly
elastic.
•The container walls are rigid and infinitely massive and do not move.
COLLISIONS AND GAS
PRESSURE
• During collisions the molecules
exert forces on the walls of the
container; this is the origin of the
pressure that the gas exerts.
• The change in momentum for x-
direction:
p x  m v x    m v x 
p x   m v x

p  momentum
m  mass
v x  velocity in x direction
COLLISIONS AND GAS
PRESSURE
• Assuming that the number of
molecules per unit volume is uniform,
the number of molecules in this
cylinder is
N
  A v x dt 
V 

N
 number of molecules per unit volume
V
A v x dt  volume of cylinder

• the number of collisions with A during

dt is
1N 
  A v x dt 
2V 
COLLISIONS AND GAS
PRESSURE
• For the system of all molecules in the
gas,
1N 
dp x    A v x dt  2m v x 
2V 
NAmv x2 dt
dp x 
V
• The rate of change of momentum
component is
dp x NAmv x2

dt V
• The pressure exerted by the gas on the
wall is
F dp
P and F  x
A dt
2
Nmv x
P
V
PRESSURE AND MOLECULAR
KINETIC ENERGIES
• The speed v of a molecule is related to
the velocity components vx, vy, and vz

v 2  v x2  v y2  v z2
• For all molecules

v 
2
av    v 
 v x2 av
2
y av  
 v z2 av

v 
2
x av  v 
1
3
2
av

P
Nm v x av   2

V
1
PV  Nm v 2 av
3
 
2 1
PV  N  m v 2
3 2
  av



PRESSURE AND MOLECULAR
KINETIC ENERGIES
1
2
 
m v 2 av  K tr

2
PV  K tr
3
PV  nRT

3
K tr  nRT
2

K tr  average translational kinetic energy of an ideal gas

n  number of mole
R  gas constant (8.314 J mol-1 K -1 or 0.08206 L atm mol -1 K -1 )
T  absolute temperature

the average translational kinetic energy of molecules in random motion in an

ideal gas is directly proportional to the absolute temperature of the gas.
COLLISIONS BETWEEN
MOLECULES
• the number dN with centers in this
cylinder
N
dN   r  vdt  
V 

• the number of collisions per unit time

dN  r  vN

dt V

• The collisions are more frequent when

all the molecules move at once

dN   r  vN 
   

dt  V 
COLLISIONS BETWEEN
MOLECULES
• mean free time: average time between
collisions
V
t mean 
  r  vN
• mean free path: the average distance
traveled between collisions
  v t mean
V

 r  N

The mean free path is inversely proportional to the number of molecules per unit
volume and the cross-sectional area of a molecule
COLLISIONS BETWEEN
MOLECULES
PV  NkT
kT

 r  P

• If the temperature is increased at

constant pressure, the gas expands, the
average distance between molecules
increases, and increases.
• If the pressure is increased at constant
temperature, the gas compresses and
decreases.
EXERCISE

What is the total translational kinetic energy of the air in an empty room
that has dimensions 7.50 m × 10.00 m × 5.00 m if the air is treated as an
ideal gas at 1.00 atm? (Answer: 5.70 × 107 J)
EXERCISE

A container holds 1.5 mol of gas. The total average kinetic energy of the
gas molecules in the container is equal to the kinetic energy of a 5.0 ×
10−3 kg bullet with a speed of 600 m/s. What is the Kelvin temperature
of the gas? (Answer: 48 K)
EXERCISE

Calculate the mean free path of air molecules at 3.00 × 10-13 atm and 350
K (air molecules are assumed as spheres of radius 2.0 × 10-10 m).
(Answer: 2.24 × 105 m)
QUIZ/FORUM

Explain the diffusion phenomenon according to the kinetic

molecular model.