Kinetic Theory of Gases Flashcards
What is the primary goal of Kinetic theory?
To relate molecular level behavior to macroscopic gas dynamics.
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 3
What two processes take place at the molecular level of a gas?
- Inter-molecular collisions
- Translational motion
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 3
Particles have what four general properties?
- Mass
- Size
- Position
- Internal energy
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 4
What is a “simple gas?”
A collection of gas in which all molecules are of the same chemical species.
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 4
True or False
Weak forces causing attraction are important only at very low gas temperatures (e.g., less than 100 K).
True
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 5
Define “number density.”
The number of particles per unit volume.
Note: Defined by “n” in the reference below.
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 6
Define “mass density.”
The mass per unit volume.
Note: Defined by ρ in the reference below.
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 7
Describe the Velocity Distribution Function (VDF).
The VDF is a function that outputs the probability (0 to 100%) of finding a particle at a given velocity.
VFD(particle i, x, y, z, V) = x | x ∊ [0,1]
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 7
True or False
Translational energy arises due to kinetic motion.
True
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 9
What is the universal gas constant in units of J/(kg-mol-K)?
8314 J/(kg-mol-K)
Note: Defined by and R with a hat over it in the reference below.
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 10
What is Boltzmann’s constant in units of J/K?
k = 1.38e-23 J/K
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 10
What is the physical mechanism that pushes a gas toward equilibrium?
Molecular Collisions
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 12
What two concepts are usually used to quantify the degree of nonequilibrium in a gas?
- Mean free path, λ
- Collision frequency, Θ
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 12
Define “mean free path.”
The average distance traveled by each particle between successive collisions.
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 12
Define “collision frequency.”
The number of collisions per unit time experienced by each particle.
Note: Given by Θ in the reference below.
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 12
Define “mean free time.”
The average time between successive collisions of each particle.
Tau_(mft) = 1/Θ
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 12
True or False
As λ increases, n decreases.
n = number density
lambda = mean free path
True. This is why a rarfied gas has a large mean free path.
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 14
True or False
λ does not depend on temperature so long as only hard sphere particles are being considered.
True
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 14
Explain how the Knudsen number relates to equilibrium.
For a high Knudsen number (e.g., Kn >0.01), there are not enough particle collisions per characteristic length of the flow to establish equilibrium.
Note: Kn = λ / L
where L is the characteristic length and λ is the mean free path.
Boyd, NEGD and Molecular Sim., Pg. 14