Question

Which of the following is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a sample of matter?

Answer 1

Answer:

• Option D. temperature

Explanation:

Indeed it is generally established that temperature is a measure of the kinetic energy ot the particles.

The kinetic energy of a particle is proportional to the product of the mass and the square of the speed. Mathematically, the kinetic energy, KE, is:

• KE = (1/2) m × v²

Where m is the mass and v the speed of the particle.

In a sample of matter, not all the particles have the same speed, hence not all the particles have the same kinetic energy.

The kinetic energy and the temperature are related by the Boltzman equation:

• KE = (3/2)KT

Where K is a constant (Boltzman constant) and T is the absolute temperature.

Therefore, as you can see from the last equation, the temperaure is a measure of the averate kinetic energy of the particles in a sample of matter.

This is, at a certain temperature, every substance has the same average kinetic energy.