Which statement about the distribution curve of molecular energies in an ideal gas at a given temperature is correct?
A - AQA - A-Level Chemistry - Question 19 - 2021 - Paper 3
Question 19
Which statement about the distribution curve of molecular energies in an ideal gas at a given temperature is correct?
A. There are no molecules with zero energy.
B... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Which statement about the distribution curve of molecular energies in an ideal gas at a given temperature is correct?
A - AQA - A-Level Chemistry - Question 19 - 2021 - Paper 3
Step 1
A. There are no molecules with zero energy.
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Answer
This statement is correct. In an ideal gas, the kinetic energy of molecules is always greater than zero because temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy. Therefore, there cannot be any molecules with zero energy in an ideal gas at a given temperature.
Step 2
B. The curve is symmetrical about the maximum.
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Answer
This statement is incorrect. The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution is not perfectly symmetrical; it skews to the right, indicating that while most molecules have energies near the average, there are still a number of molecules with higher energies.
Step 3
C. Changing the temperature has no effect on the position of the maximum.
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Answer
This statement is also incorrect. Changing the temperature of an ideal gas will change the distribution of molecular energies, shifting the position of the maximum on the curve.
Step 4
D. Most molecules have the mean energy.
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Answer
This statement is misleading. Most molecules do not have the mean energy; rather, they tend to have energies distributed around the average with some below and some above the mean.
