COMEDK2023Morning ShiftPhysicsKinetic Theory of GasesActual
The mean energy per molecule for a diatomic gas is
Options
- A5 k_B T 2 N
- B3 k_B T 2
- C5 k_B T N
- D5 k_B T 2
Correct answer
D. 5 k_B T 2
Step-by-step solution
A diatomic gas molecule at a temperature T possesses degrees of freedom associated with its motion. For a rigid diatomic molecule, there are 3 translational degrees of freedom and 2 rotational degrees of freedom, totaling 5 degrees of freedom ( f = 5 ). According to the law of equipartition of energy, each degree of freedom contributes 1 2 k_B T to the average energy of a molecule. Therefore, the mean energy per molecule E is given by E = f 1 2 k_B T . Substituting f = 5 , we get E = 5 1 2 k_B T = 5 k_B T 2 . Answe