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Assumptions of Kinetic Molecular Theory

Kinetic molecular theory assumes that gas molecules are in constant, random, straight-line motion and can be considered dimensionless points. The collisions between gas molecules and container walls are completely elastic with no energy lost or gained. Temperature is a measure of average molecular kinetic energy, so changes in temperature alter molecular velocity and pressure results from molecular collisions with container walls.

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Gelena Chui
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6 views1 page

Assumptions of Kinetic Molecular Theory

Kinetic molecular theory assumes that gas molecules are in constant, random, straight-line motion and can be considered dimensionless points. The collisions between gas molecules and container walls are completely elastic with no energy lost or gained. Temperature is a measure of average molecular kinetic energy, so changes in temperature alter molecular velocity and pressure results from molecular collisions with container walls.

Uploaded by

Gelena Chui
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Kinetic Molecular Theory is guided by the following assumptions:

 The molecules of an ideal gas (an ideal gas is a gas that follows the assumptions
of kinetic molecular theory) are in constant, random, straight-line motion. Gas
molecules are constantly moving very, very fast and their direction is completely
random. They move in straight lines within their container.
 The molecules in an ideal gas can be considered dimensionless points. This
assumption can be made because molecules are very, very small compared with
the empty space in a gas sample. Therefore, you can assume that the volume of
a gas sample is equal to the size of the container that it is held. There are no
attractive or repulsive forces in an ideal gas. This means that the molecules of an
ideal gas do not like or hate each other, they are indifferent. If they pass by
another gas molecule, they don’t even notice them, they just go about their
business. This assumption is totally false, but as long as the molecules of the gas
have plenty of space, they really won’t interact with each other.

 The collisions between molecules in an ideal gas with each other and the walls of
its container are completely elastic. Elastic collisions mean that no energy is lost
or gained when the molecules collide.
Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a sample.
Since KE = ½ mv2, the change in temperature of a sample is caused by a change in
velocity (speed) of the molecules in that sample. Pressure of a gas sample is caused
by the molecules of that sample colliding with the walls of the container. Pressure =
Force / Area, so in order for a gas to exert more pressure on its container, there must
be more collisions or more forceful collisions. Volume of a sample is the space that the
particles take up (not much differently than it is normally thought of).

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