The JAVA applet below simulates an ideal monatomic gas. Select a temperature (T1 < T2 < T3 < T4), select a volume (V, 90%V, or 80%V), and click the "Start" button to begin the simulation. Click the "Stop" button to end the simulation. When the simulation ceases, the mean square velocity ( ) of N gaseous atoms and the average force exerted by the gas on a wall of the box are displayed above the box. To obtain a graphical display of the collected data, select an appropriate plot (mean square velocity of the gaseous molecules versus temperature, average force exerted by the gas on a wall of the box versus the mean square velocity of the gas, or average force exerted by the gas on a wall of the box versus width of the box).

    Use the applet in the design and performance of experiments to answer the following questions. See the Tutorial for Experiment: Ideal Gas for an example and help.

1. Do all the gaseous atoms have the same velocity?
2. What happens to the velocity of an atom when it collides with the wall of the box? See the magnified view.
3. What happens to the velocity of an atom when it collides with another atom? See the magnified view.
4. How does the mean square velocity of the gaseous atoms change with temperture?
5. How does the force exerted by the gas on the wall of the box change with a change in the mean square velocity of the gaseous atoms?
6. How does the force exerted by the gas on the wall of the box change with a change in temperature of the gas ?
7. How does the force exerted by the gas on the wall of the box change with a change in the width of the box ?
8. Based on your observations why does the pressure of the ideal gas at constant volume increase with an increase in temperature?
9. Based on your observations why does the pressure of the ideal gas at constant temperature increase with a reduction in the volume in the container?

Nutt 98