Question

How does the average kinetic energy of a gas molecule depend on the absolute temperature of the gas?

Answer 1

Hint:Make use of the definition of absolute temperature which says it is the lowest possible temperature point on the Kelvin scale.

Complete step by step solution:
Before solving the question, we need to understand the meaning of kinetic energies of gas molecules and the absolute temperatures of the gas.
The formula for kinetic energy of a body of mass m is as follows:
\[K.E = \dfrac{1}{2}m{v^2}\]
Absolute zero is the lowest limit of thermodynamic temperature scale, a state at which the enthalpy and entropy of a cooled ideal gas can reach their minimum value, taken as zero kelvins.
Absolute zero is therefore the temperature at which the particles in a substance are essentially motionless and thus there can be no lower possible temperature.
Thus, the average kinetic energy of a gas molecule is directly proportional to the absolute temperature only, which implies that all molecular motion ceases if the temperature is reduced to absolute zero.

Additional information:
In physics, the kinetic energy (KE) of an object is the energy that it possesses due to its motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to the velocity stated in the question. After gaining this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains a constant kinetic energy until and unless it changes its speed. The same type and amount of work is done by the body in the process of decelerating from its current speed to a state of rest.

Note: Before solving the sum students need to be able to understand the meaning of the terms absolute temperature and also Kinetic energies of ideal gases.