15.3 Kinetic theory of gases · Molecules bounce off the walls of a box: measure the pressure from their impacts and compare it with pV = nRT and pV = ⅓Nm⟨c²⟩.
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About this lab
Molecules bounce off the walls of a box: measure the pressure from their impacts and compare it with pV = nRT and pV = ⅓Nm⟨c²⟩.
You will be able to
Explain how the pressure of a gas arises from the change in momentum of molecules colliding with the walls.
Use pV = nRT, pV = ⅓Nm⟨c²⟩ and ½m⟨c²⟩ = (3/2)kT to calculate the pressure and the root-mean-square speed.
Deduce that the mean kinetic energy of a molecule depends only on the thermodynamic temperature, so lighter molecules move faster at the same temperature.
