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COMEDK · Physics · 14. Kinetic Theory of Gases

The mean energy per molecule for a diatomic gas is

  1. A \(\dfrac{5 k_B T}{2 N}\)
  2. B \(\dfrac{3 k_B T}{2}\)
  3. C \(\dfrac{5 k_B T}{N}\)
  4. D \(\dfrac{5 k_B T}{2}\)
Verified Solution

Answer & Solution

Correct Answer

(D) \(\dfrac{5 k_B T}{2}\)

Step-by-step Solution

Detailed explanation

A diatomic gas molecule at a temperature \(T\) possesses degrees of freedom associated with its motion. For a rigid diatomic molecule, there are 3 translational degrees of freedom and 2 rotational degrees of freedom, totaling 5 degrees of freedom (\(f = 5\)). According to the…