At room temperature, which has a greater average velocity, neon or helium? An explanation would be nice as well!!
temperature is a measure of the AVERAGE kinetic energy; so a less massive substance has
a greater average velocity
At room temperature, helium has a greater average velocity than neon. This is because average velocity is directly related to the mass of an atom or molecule and is inversely related to its molar mass.
Neon (atomic symbol Ne) has an atomic mass of approximately 20.18 atomic mass units (amu), while helium (atomic symbol He) has an atomic mass of approximately 4.00 amu. Since helium has a significantly lower molar mass compared to neon, it is lighter and therefore has a higher average velocity at the same temperature.
To understand why molar mass affects average velocity, we can consider the kinetic theory of gases. According to this theory, the average kinetic energy of gas molecules is proportional to their temperature. At the same temperature, lighter gas molecules have higher average kinetic energies than heavier ones since they can move faster. This higher average kinetic energy translates into a greater average velocity.
Therefore, at room temperature, helium, being lighter than neon, has a greater average velocity.
To determine which gas, neon or helium, has a greater average velocity at room temperature, we can first consider the factors that affect the average velocity of gas particles.
The average velocity of gas particles is directly related to their temperature and their molar mass. The kinetic theory of gases states that the average kinetic energy of gas particles is directly proportional to the temperature. So, at a given temperature, gases with higher average kinetic energy will have higher average velocities.
Additionally, the molar mass of a gas affects its average velocity. According to Graham's law of effusion, the rate of effusion of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molar mass. This means that gases with lower molar masses will have higher average velocities.
Now let's compare neon and helium:
- Temperature: At room temperature, the temperature is constant, so it does not affect the comparison of average velocities between neon and helium.
- Molar Mass: Neon has a molar mass of approximately 20g/mol, while helium has a molar mass of approximately 4g/mol. Since helium has a lower molar mass than neon, according to Graham's law of effusion, helium will have a higher average velocity.
Therefore, at room temperature, helium will have a greater average velocity compared to neon due to its lower molar mass.
Remember, this explanation is based on the principles of the kinetic theory of gases and Graham's law of effusion.