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Molecular Properties of Gases


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A molecular view of pressure:
 
                         A gas is composed of a large number of molecules that are very small relative to the distance between molecules. The molecules of a gas are in constant, random motion and frequently collide with each other and with the walls of the container in which the gas is kept.




        The molecules possess the physical properties of mass, momentum, and energy. The
momentum of a single molecule is mass times velocity, while the kinetic energy is one half of the
mass times the square of the velocity.
        As the gas molecules collide with the walls of a container, as shown in the figure, they impart
momentum to the walls, producing a force perpendicular to the wall. The sum of the forces of all
the molecules striking the wall divided by the area of the wall is defined to be the pressure. Thus,
the pressure of a gas is then a measure of the average linear momentum of the moving
molecules of a gas. The pressure acts perpendicular to the wall of the container.The mathematical
expression of pressure of an ideal gas consisting of N molecules in a container of volume V is
given as:

 
Here, m is the mass of a molecule and v2 is the mean square velocity of all N molecules. Thus,
the expression indicates that the pressure is proportional to the number of molecules per unit
volume and to the average translational kinetic energy of the molecules.
                        The molecules possess the physical properties of mass, momentum, and energy. The
momentum of a single molecule is mass times velocity, while the kinetic energy is one half of the
mass times the square of the velocity.
        As the gas molecules collide with the walls of a container, as shown in the figure, they impart
momentum to the walls, producing a force perpendicular to the wall. The sum of the forces of all
the molecules striking the wall divided by the area of the wall is defined to be the pressure. Thus,
the pressure of a gas is then a measure of the average linear momentum of the moving
molecules of a gas. The pressure acts perpendicular to the wall of the container.The mathematical
expression of pressure of an ideal gas consisting of N molecules in a container of volume V is
given as:

 
Here, m is the mass of a molecule and v2 is the mean square velocity of all N molecules. Thus,
the expression indicates that the pressure is proportional to the number of molecules per unit
volume and to the average translational kinetic energy of the molecules.


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