According to the kinetic theory, the mean free path is the average distance a single atom or molecule of an element or compound travels with respect with the other atoms during a collision. The greater the mean free path, the more ideal the behavior of a gas molecule is because intermolecular forces are minimum. To understand which factors affect the mean free path, the equation is written below.
l = μ/P * √(πkT/2m), where l is the mean free path μ is the viscosity of the fluid P is the pressure k is the Boltzmann's constant T is the absolute temperature m is the molar mass
So, here are the general effects of the factors on the mean free path:
Mean free path increases when: 1. The fluid is viscous (↑μ) 2. At low pressures (↓P) 3. At high temperatures (↑T) 4. Very light masses (↓m)
The opposite is also true for when the mean free path decreases. Factors that are not found here have little or no effect.
