Question Details

Energy of all molecules of a monoatomic gas having a volume V and pressure P is 3PV/2. The total translational kinetic energy of all molecules of a diatomic gas as the same volume and pressure is

Options

A

PV/2

B

3PV/2

C

5PV/2

D

3 PV

Correct Answer :

3PV/2

Solution :

The correct option is 3PV/2.

Step-by-step Explanation:

1. Translational Kinetic Energy per Molecule:
According to the kinetic theory of gases, the average translational kinetic energy of a single gas molecule depends solely on the absolute temperature of the gas and is given by the formula:
Emolecule=32kT
where k is the Boltzmann constant and T is the absolute temperature.

2. Total Translational Kinetic Energy of the Gas:
For a gas containing N molecules, the total translational kinetic energy (Et) is the product of the number of molecules and the average translational kinetic energy per molecule:
Et=N×32kT
Using the relation Nk=nR (where n is the number of moles and R is the universal gas constant), this expression simplifies to:
Et=32nRT
From the ideal gas law, we know that:
PV=nRT
Substituting PV into the energy equation, we obtain:
Et=32PV

3. Independence of Atomicity:
The expression for the total translational kinetic energy, Et=32PV, depends only on the pressure (P) and volume (V) of the gas. It is completely independent of the atomicity of the gas (whether it is monoatomic, diatomic, or polyatomic).
While a diatomic gas has additional degrees of freedom (rotational and vibrational) that contribute to its total internal energy, its translational kinetic energy remains exactly the same as that of a monoatomic gas under identical pressure and volume conditions.

Therefore, the total translational kinetic energy of all molecules of the diatomic gas at the same volume V and pressure P is:
Et=32PV

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