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COMEDK · Physics · 14. Kinetic Theory of Gases

The average energy associated with a monoatomic molecule is

  1. A \(K_{B} T\)
  2. B \(\dfrac{1}{2} K_{B} T\)
  3. C \(\dfrac{3}{2} K_{B} T\)
  4. D \(2 K_{B} T\)
Verified Solution

Answer & Solution

Correct Answer

(C) \(\dfrac{3}{2} K_{B} T\)

Step-by-step Solution

Detailed explanation

A monoatomic gas molecule has 3 degrees of freedom (\(f = 3\)) corresponding to its translational motion along the \(x\), \(y\), and \(z\) axes. According to the law of equipartition of energy, each degree of freedom contributes \(\dfrac{1}{2} K_{B} T\) to the average kinetic…