Which statement is correct about the thermal energy of gas?(1 point)
Responses
The thermal energy of gas is its kinetic energy minus its potential energy.
The thermal energy of gas is its kinetic energy minus its potential energy.
The thermal energy of gas is its potential energy alone, as the kinetic energy of gas is negligible.
The thermal energy of gas is its potential energy alone, as the kinetic energy of gas is negligible.
The thermal energy of gas is its kinetic energy alone, as the potential energy of gas is negligible.
The thermal energy of gas is its kinetic energy alone, as the potential energy of gas is negligible.
The thermal energy of gas is the sum of its kinetic and potential energy.
The thermal energy of gas is the sum of its kinetic and potential energy.
To determine which statement is correct about the thermal energy of gas, we need to understand the concepts of kinetic energy and potential energy in relation to gas particles.
Kinetic energy refers to the energy of motion. In the case of gas particles, kinetic energy is associated with the random motion of the particles. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of gas particles.
Potential energy, on the other hand, is associated with the interaction between particles or with external forces. In the context of gas particles, potential energy is typically negligible because gas particles are highly spread out and do not have strong interparticle interactions.
Now, let's analyze the given statements:
1. "The thermal energy of gas is its kinetic energy minus its potential energy."
2. "The thermal energy of gas is its potential energy alone, as the kinetic energy of gas is negligible."
3. "The thermal energy of gas is its kinetic energy alone, as the potential energy of gas is negligible."
4. "The thermal energy of gas is the sum of its kinetic and potential energy."
Statements 2 and 3 suggest that either kinetic or potential energy is negligible, which is not accurate. While the potential energy may be negligible in most cases, it should not be completely disregarded.
Statement 4, "The thermal energy of gas is the sum of its kinetic and potential energy," is also not correct since the potential energy is usually negligible compared to the kinetic energy.
That leaves us with statement 1, "The thermal energy of gas is its kinetic energy minus its potential energy," as the correct answer. This statement acknowledges that both kinetic and potential energy contribute to the thermal energy of gas, but the potential energy is typically much smaller and can be neglected for most gases.
Therefore, the correct statement is: "The thermal energy of gas is its kinetic energy minus its potential energy."
The correct statement about the thermal energy of gas is:
The thermal energy of gas is the sum of its kinetic and potential energy.