The average kinetic energy of a gas is proportional to its absolute temperature. Which quantity is this proportional to?

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Multiple Choice

The average kinetic energy of a gas is proportional to its absolute temperature. Which quantity is this proportional to?

Explanation:
In kinetic theory, the average kinetic energy per molecule is directly tied to temperature through KE_avg = (3/2) k_B T. This shows a linear relationship with the absolute temperature: as T rises, the average kinetic energy rises in step. Mass doesn’t set this average on its own (KE_avg is independent of mass for a given temperature), and volume doesn’t determine the energy either. Pressure relates to temperature only through the ideal gas law, not as the direct quantity that the kinetic energy scales with. Therefore, the quantity that KE_per_molecule is proportional to is the absolute temperature.

In kinetic theory, the average kinetic energy per molecule is directly tied to temperature through KE_avg = (3/2) k_B T. This shows a linear relationship with the absolute temperature: as T rises, the average kinetic energy rises in step. Mass doesn’t set this average on its own (KE_avg is independent of mass for a given temperature), and volume doesn’t determine the energy either. Pressure relates to temperature only through the ideal gas law, not as the direct quantity that the kinetic energy scales with. Therefore, the quantity that KE_per_molecule is proportional to is the absolute temperature.

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