Kinetic Theory

Kinetic theory (or the kinetic or kinetic-molecular theory of gases) is the theory that HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasgases are made up of a large number of small particles (HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomatoms or HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moleculemolecules), all of which are in constant, HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randomnessrandom HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_(physics)motion. The rapidly moving particles constantly collide with each other and with the walls of the container. Kinetic theory explains HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macroscopicmacroscopic properties of gases, such as pressure, temperature, or volume, by considering their molecular composition and motion. Essentially, the theory posits that pressure is due not to static repulsion between molecules, as was HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_NewtonIsaac Newtons conjecture, but due to HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collisioncollisions between molecules moving at different velocities. While the particles making up a gas are too small to be visible, the jittering motion of pollen grains or dust particles which can be seen under a microscope, known as HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownian_motionBrownian motion, results directly from collisions between the particle and air molecules. This experimental evidence for kinetic theory, pointed out by HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_EinsteinAlbert Einstein in 1905, is generally seen as having confirmed the existence of atoms and molecules. HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_theoryhttp//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_theory Postulates The theory for ideal gases makes the following assumptions The gas consists of very small particles, all with non-zero HYPERLINK http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massmass. The number of molecules is large such that statistical treatment can be applied. These molecules are in constant, HYPERLINK