Thermal physics

• What is the internal energy of a gas?

  Sum of kinetic and potential energies
• What can be said about the internal energy of an ideal gas?

  It equals the kinetic energy of particles
• What is specific heat capacity?

  Energy to raise 1 kg by 1 degree
• What equation calculates energy required to raise temperature?

  E = mc(change in T)
• What is the unit for specific heat capacity?

  Jkg^-1C^-1
• What is activation energy?

  Minimum energy for a chemical process
• What does the gradient of a temperature-energy graph represent?

  1 / Specific Heat Capacity
• How do particles transfer energy between themselves?

  Through random collisions with each other
• What is the formula for energy in relation to temperature?

  E = $\frac{2 kT}{3}$
• What is the term for the energy required for chemical processes to occur?

  Activation energy
• What happens if $\frac{2 kT}{3}$ is less than the activation energy?


  The reaction will be unable to occur
• At what range of activation energy do reactions occur at an appreciable rate?

  Between 15kT and 30kT
• How do particles exchange energy?

  Through random collisions
• What determines the probability of a particle gaining enough energy to move to a higher energy level?

  Random collisions
• How does the number of particles on each energy level change?

  It decreases exponentially with each level up
• What is the Boltzmann factor?

  The ratio of particles on different energy levels
• If the Boltzmann factor is ½, what does this indicate?

  It is the ratio of particles between adjacent levels
• What does the Boltzmann factor depend on?

  The process involved in energy movement
• What does the Boltzmann factor ratio represent?

  The "jump" involved in energy levels
• What is the equation for the Boltzmann factor?

  $f_B =$$e^{-\frac{\epsilon}{kT}}$
• What does each symbol in the Boltzmann factor equation represent?

  f_B = Boltzmann factor, e = exponential factor, ε = activation energy, k = Boltzmann constant, T = temperature
• What is the value of the Boltzmann constant?

  0.401 × 10^-23
• What is the unit of temperature in the Boltzmann factor equation?

  Kelvin