Kinetic Theory of Gases
PHYS 220 · Module 5
This module connects macroscopic gas laws to microscopic particle motion. Students derive pressure and temperature from molecular collisions, study speed distributions, and learn the equipartition theorem.
Lessons in this module
Ideal gas law
The ideal gas law relates pressure, volume, temperature, and amount of gas. This lesson explains the law, its assumptions, and its limits.
Kinetic derivation of pressure and temperature
Kinetic theory derives pressure and temperature from molecular motion. This lesson shows how random collisions produce the ideal gas law.
Maxwell-Boltzmann speed distribution
Gas molecules do not all move at the same speed. This lesson introduces the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and its characteristic speeds.
Equipartition theorem
The equipartition theorem connects temperature to average energy in each quadratic degree of freedom. This lesson explains translational, rotational, and vibrational contributions.
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