UNSOLVED OBJECTIVE LEVEL – I

1. A steel scale is to be prepared such that the millimeter intervals are to be accurate within
6  105 mm. The maximum temperature variation during the ruling of the millimeter marks
(  12  106 C 1 ) is
(a) 4.0ºC (b) 4.5ºC
(c) 5.0ºC (d) 5.5ºC.

2. A meter washer has a hole of diameter d1 and an external diameter d2 , where d2  3d1 . On
heating, d 2 increases by 0.3%. Then d1 will
(a) decrease by 0.1% (b) decrease by 0.3%
(c) increase by 0.1% (d) increase by 0.3%.

3. An ideal gas expands according to the law pV 2 = const. The molar heat capacity C is
(a) CV  R (b) CV  R
(c) CV  2R (d) CV  3R .

4. If W1 is the work done in compressing an ideal gas from a given initial state through a certain
volume isothermally and W2 is the work done in compressing the same gas from the same initial
state through the same volume adiabatically, then
(a) W1  W2 (b) W1  W2
(c) W1  W2 (d) W1  2W2 .

5. The rate of emission of a black body at 0ºC is R. Its rate of emission at 273ºC is
(a) 4R (b) 8R
(c) 16R (d) 32R.

6. A body emits radiation when its temperature is

(a) >0ºC (b) >100ºC
(c) > surrounding temperature
(d) it emits radiation at all temperatures (T > 0ºK)

7. A block of ice at –10ºC is slowly heated and converted to steam at 100ºC. Which of the following
curves represents the phenomenon qualitatively ?
Temperature
Temperature

-10ºC Heat supplied -10ºC Heat supplied

(a) (b)
Temperature

Temperature

-10ºC Heat supplied -10ºC Heat supplied

(c) (d) .
8. Two identical containers joined by a small pipe initially contain the same gas at pressure p0 and
absolute temperature T0 . One container is now maintained at the same temperature while the
other is heated to 2T0 . The common pressure of the gases will be
2 4
(a) p0 (b) p0
3 3
5
(c) p0 (d) 2 p0 .
3

9. Three rods of the same dimensions have thermal conductivities 50ºC

3k , 2k and k . They are arranged as shown, with their ends at
100ºC, 50ºC and 0ºC. The temperature of their junction is 2k
100ºC
200
(a) 75ºC (b) ºC 3k
3 k
100
(c) 40ºC (d) ºC.
3 0ºC

10. An ideal gas changes from state a to state b as shown in figure. b

What is the work done by the gas in the process ?
(a) zero (b) positive
T
(c) negative (d) infinite.
a
P

11. Steam at 100ºC is passed into 1.1 kg of water contained in a calorimeter of water equivalent 0.02
kg at 15ºC, till to 80ºC. The mass of steam condensed (in kg) is (Take latent heat of steam = 540
cal g-r)
(a) 0.130 (b) 0.065
(c) 0.260 (d) 0.135.

12. The weight of a person is 60 kg. If he gets 10 calories of heat through food and the efficiency of
his body is 28%, then upto how much height he can climb ? Take g = 10 m s-2
(a) 100 cm (b) 196 cm
(c) 400 cm (d) 1000 cm.

13. An ideal monoatomic gas is taken round the cycle ABCDA (3P, V) (3P, 3V)
as shown in following P-V diagram. The work done during C D
the cycle is
(a) PV (b) 2PV P
(c) 4PV (d) zero. B A
(P, V) (P, 3V)
O V
 14. Heat energy absorbed by a system in going through a cyclic 30

V in litre
process shown in figure, is
(a) 107  J (b) 104  J
10
(c) 102  J (d) 103  J .
10 30
P in kPa

15. Radiation from a black body at the thermodynamic temperature T1 is measured by a small
detector at distance d1 from it. When the temperature is increased to T2 and the distance to d2 ,
the power received by the detector is unchanged. What is the ratio d2 / d1 ?
2
T2 T 
(a) (b)  2 
T1  T1 
2 4
 T1  T 
(c)   (d)  2  .
 T2   T1 
 UNSOLVED OBJECTIVE LEVEL – II

1. If I is the moment of inertia of a solid body, the change in I corresponding to a small change in
temperature T is
1
(a) I T (b)  I T
2
(c) 2I T (d) 3I T .

2. At 4ºC, 0.98 of the volume of a body is immersed in water. The temperature at which the entire
body gets immersed in water (  w  3.3  104 K 1 ) is (neglect the expansion of the body)
(a) 40.8ºC (b) 64.6ºC
(c) 60.6ºC (d) 58.8ºC.

3. If  is the coefficient of linear expansion, the change in the period t of a physical pendulum with
temperature change of T is
1 1
(a) t T (b) t T
2 4
3 1
(c) t T (d)  t T .
4 3

4. A black body radiates power P and maximum energy is radiated by it around a wavelength  0 .
The temperature of the black body is now changed such that it radiated maximum energy around
3 0
the wavelength . The power radiated by it now is
4
256 16
(a) P (b) P
81 9
64 4
(c) P (d) P.
27 3

5. Five rods having thermal conductivities k1 , k2 , k3 , k4 and k5 are k1 k3

arranged as shown. The points A and B are maintained at
A k5 B
different temperature such that no thermal current flows
through the central rod. k2 k4
(a) k1k4  k2 k3 (b) k1  k3 , k2  k4
k1 k3
(c) k1k3  k2 k4 (d)  .
k4 k2

6. A point source of heat of power P is placed at the center of a spherical shell of mean radius R. The
material of the shell has thermal conductivity k. If the temperature difference between the outer
and the inner surface of the shell is not to exceed T, then the thickness of the shell should not be
less than
2R 2 kT 4R 2 kT
(a) (b)
P P
R2 kT R2 kT
(c) (d) .
P 4P
7. A cyclic process is shown on the V – T diagram. The same process on a P – T diagram is shown
by
C

V
D
B
A
O T

A B D A

P P
D C C B

(a) O T (b) O T

C
C B
P P
D
D B
A
A
(c) O T (d) O T .

8. Two containers of equal volume contain the same gas at pressure p1 and p2 and absolute
temperature T1 and T2 respectively. On joining the vessels, the gas reaches a common pressure p
p
and a common temperature T. The ratio is equal to
T
p1 p2 1  p1 p2 
(a)  (b)   
T1 T2 2  T1 T2 
p1T2  p2T1 p1T2  p2T1
(c) (d) .
T1  T2 T1  T2

9. A cyclic process ABCD is shown in the p  V diagram. Which of the following curves represent
the same process ?
A B

p C
D
V
A B D C

D B
T V
C A
(a) p (b) T
B A B

A
p C V
D
D C
(c) T (d) T .
10. Three rods A, B and C have the same dimensions. Their thermal conductivities are k A , k B and kC
respectively. A and B are placed end to end, with their free ends kept at a certain temperature
difference. C is placed separately, with its ends kept at the same temperature difference. The two
arrangements conduct heat at the same rate. kC must be equal to
k A kB
(a) k A  k B (b)
k A  kB
1  k k 
(c) (kA  kB ) (d) 2. A B .
2  kA  kB 

11. A cyclic process is shown in the p-T diagram. Which of the curves show the same process on a V-
T diagram ?
B

P
A C
O T
B C B A

V V

A C

(a) O T (b) O T

C C

V V

A B A B
(c) O T (d) O T .

12. A solid at temperature T1 is kept in an evacuated chamber at temperature T2  T1 . The rate of

increase of temperatrue of the body is proportional to
(a) T2  T1 (b) T22  T12
(c) T24  T14 (d) T23  T13

13. A cyclic process is shown in the p-T diagram. Which of the curves show the same process on a V-
T diagram ?
C B

p
A
O T
 C B C B

p p
A A

(a) V (b) V

C B

p p

B A A C

(c) V (d) V .

14. 70 calories of heat are required to raise the temperature of 2 moles of an ideal gas at constant
pressure from 30ºC to 35ºC. The amount of heat required in calories to raise the temperature of
same gas through the same range (30ºC to 35ºC) at constant volume is
(a) 30 (b) 50
(c) 70 (d) 90.

15. An ideal gas is taken through the cycle A  B  C  A , as

C B
shown in figure. If the net heat supplied to the gas in the cycle 2
is 5 J, the work done by the gas in the process C  A is
V(m3)

(a) - 5 J (b) - 10 J
(c) - 15 J (d) - 20 J. 1 A
2
P(N/m ) 10
 SUBJECTIVE UNSOLVED (C.B.S.E.) LEVEL – I
(REVIEW YOUR CONCEPTS)
1. What amount of heat must be supplied to 2.0  102 kg of nitrogen at room temperature to raise its
temperature by 45ºC at constant pressure ? Given : molecular mass of N 2  28, R  8.3 J mol-1
Kº-1.

2. In an experiment of on the specific heat of a metal, a 20.0 2 kg block of the metal at 150ºC is
dropped in a copper calorimeter (of water equivalent 0.025 kg) containing 150 cm3 of water at
27ºC. The final temperature is 40ºC. Calculate the specific heat of the metal. If heat losses to the
surroundings are not negligible, is your answer greater of smaller than the actual value of specific
heat of the metal ?

3. A copper block of mass 2.5 kg is heated in a furnace to a temperature of 500ºC and then placed on
a large ice block. What is the maximum amount of ice that can melt ? (Specific heat of copper =
0.39 J g-1 ºC-1; latent heat of fusion of water = 335 K J g-1 .) .

4. A 10 kW drilling machine is used to drill a bore in a small aluminium block of mass 8.0 kg. How
much is the rise in temperature of the block in 2.5 minutes, assuming 50% of power is used up in
heating the machine itself or lost to the surroundings ? Specific heat of aluminium = 0.991 J g-1
ºC -1.

5. A geyser heats water flowing at the rate of 3.0 litre per minute from 27ºC to 77ºC. If the geyser
operates on a gas burner, what is the rate of combustion consumption of fuel, if its heat of
combustion is 4.0  104 J/g ?

6. A large steel wheel is to be fitted on to a shaft of the same material. At 27ºC, the outer diameter of
the shaft is 8.70 cm and the diameter of the central hole in the wheel is 8.69 cm. The shaft is
cooled using ‘dry ice’ (solid carbon dioxide). At what temperature of the shaft does the wheel slip
on to the shaft ? Assume coefficient of linear expansion of the steel to be constant over the
required temperature range :   1.20  105C 1 .

7. A brass wire 1.8 m long at 27ºC is held taut with little tension between two rigid supports. If the
wire is cooled to a temperature of –39ºC, what is the tension developed in the wire, if its diameter
is 2.0 mm ? Coefficient of linear expansion of brass  2.0  105 ºC-1; Young’s modulus of brass =
0.91  1011 Pa.

8. The coefficient of volume expansion of glycerin is 49  105 ºC -1. What is the fractional change in
its density for a 30ºC rise in temperature ?

9. A thin brass rectangular sheet of sides 15.0 cm and 12.0 cm is heated in a furnace to 600ºC and
taken out. How much electric power is needed to maintain the sheet at this temperature, given that
its emissivity is 0.250 ? Neglect heat loss due to convection.
Given : Stefan – Boltzmann constant,   5.67  108 Wm-2 K-4.

10. A liquid cools from 70ºC to 60ºC in 5 minute. Calculate the time taken by the liquid to cool from
60ºC to 50ºC, if the temperature of the surrounding is constant at 30ºC.
 SUBJECTIVE UNSOLVED LEVEL – II
(BRUSH UP YOUR CONCEPTS)
1. One mole of a certain ideal gas is contained under the weightless piston of a vertical cylinder at a
temperature T. The space over the piston opens into the atmosphere of pressure p0 . What work
has to be done in lifting the piston slowly so that the volume of the gas under the piston increases
isothermally n times?

2. The operating temperature of a tungsten filament in an incandescent lamp is 2000 K and its
emissivity is 0.30. Find the surface area of the filament of a 25 watt lamp.
Stefan constant  5.67  108 W m 2 K 4 .

3. A long tungsten heater wire of 1 meter is rated at 3 kW m-1 and is 5.0  104 m in diameter. It is
embedded along the axis of a ceramic cylinder of diameter 0.12 m. When operating at the rated
power, the wire is at 1500ºC; the outside of the cylinder is at 20ºC. Find the thermal conductivity
of the ceramic.

4. A blackened solid copper sphere of radius 2 cm is placed in an evacuated enclosure whose walls
are kept at 100ºC. At what rate must energy be supplied to the sphere to keep its temperature
constant at 127ºC ? Stefan constant  5.67  108 J m 2 K 4

5. Two perfect diatomic gases at absolute temperature T1 and T2 are mixed. There is no loss of
energy. Find the temperature of the mixture if masses of the molecules are m1 and m2 and the
number of molecules in the gases are n1 and n2 .

6. When a system is taken from state i to state f along the path iaf, it is P
found that Q = 50 cal and W = 20 cal. Along the path ibf, q Q = 36 cal a f
(figure)
(a) What is W along the path ibf ? i b
(b) If W = - 13 cal for the curved return path f i, what is Q for this
path ? O V
(c) Take U i = 10 cal. What is U f ?
(d) If U b = 22 cal, what is Q for the process ib ? and Ffor the
process bf ?

C 
7. The initial pressure and volume of a given mass of gas  P    are P0 and V0 . The gas can
C
 V 
exchange heat with the surrounding.
V
(a) It is slowly compressed to a volume 0 and then suddenly compressed to V0 / 4 . Find the
2
final pressure.
(b) If the gas is suddenly compressed from the volume V0 to V0 / 2 and then slowly
compressed to V0 / 4 , what will be the final pressure ?
8. The ends of a meter stick are maintained at 100ºC and 0ºC. One end of a rod is maintained at
25ºC. Where should its other end be touched on the meter stick so that there is no heat current in
the rod in steady state ?

9. A copper sphere is suspended in an evacuated chamber maintained at 300 K. The sphere is

maintained at a constant temperature of 500 K by heating it electrically. A total of 210 W of
electric power is needed to do it. When the surface of the copper sphere is completely blankened,
700 W is needed to maintain the same temperature of the sphere. Calculate the emissivity of
copper.

10. Two rods shown in figure have identical geometrical 100ºC 0ºC
dimensions. They are in contact with two heat bath at
temperature 100ºC and 0ºC. The temperature of the junction is
70ºC. Find the temperature of the junction if the rods are
interchanged.
 SUBJECTIVE UNSOLVED LEVEL – III
(CHECK YOUR SKILLS)
1. A horizontal cylindrical vessel of length 2l is separated by a thin
heat-insulating piston into two equal parts each of which contains
n moles of an ideal monatomic gas at a temperature T. The piston
is connected to the end faces of the vessel by undeformed springs
of rigidity k each (figure). When an amount of heat Q is supplied
to the gas in the right part, the piston is displaced to the left by a
distance x  l / 2 .
Determine the amount of heat Q ' given away at the temperature T to a thermostat with which the
gas in the left part is in thermal contact all the time.

2. A thermally insulated vessel is divided into two parts by a heat-

insulating piston which can move in the vessel without friction.
The left part of the vessel contains one mole of an ideal
monatomic gas, and the right part is empty. The piston is
connected to the right wall of the vessel through a spring whose
length in free state is equal to the length of the vessel (figure).
Determine the heat capacity C of the system, neglecting the heat
capacities of the vessel, piston and spring.

3. A vessel of volume V = 30  is separated into three equal parts

H2 O2 N2
by stationary semipermeable thin particle (figure). The left,
middle, and right parts are filled with m H 2  30 g of hydrogen,
m
mO2  160 g of oxygen and N 2 =70 g of nitrogen respectively.
The left partition lets through only hydrogen, while the right
partition lets through hydrogen and nitrogen.
What will be the pressure in each part of the vessel after the equilibrium has been set in if the
vessel is kept at a constant temperature T  300 K ?

4. A vertical cylinder of cross-sectional area S contains one mole of an ideal monatomic gas under a
piston of mass M. At a certain instant, a heater which transmits to a gas an amount of heat q per
unit time is switched on under the piston. Determine the established velocity  of the piston
under the condition that the gas pressure under the piston is constant and equal to p0 , and the gas
under piston is thermally insulated.

5. Determine the work A done by an ideal gas during a closed cycle

1  4  3  2  1 shown in figure. If p1  105 Pa,
p0  3  105 Pa, p2  4  105 Pa, V2  V1  10 , and segments
4-3 and 2-1 of the cycle are parallel to the V-axis.
6. The density () versus pressure (P) graph of an ideal gas
(monoatomic) undergoing a cyclic process is shown in figure. 20 2
The gas taken has molecular weight M and one mole of gas is (Density)
taken. 1
0 3
(a) Find work done in each process
(b) Find heat rejected by gas in one complete cycle. O P0 2 P0
(c) Find the efficiency of the cycle. (Pressure)

7. A heat conducting piston can move freely inside a closed,

P P
thermally insulated cylinder with an ideal gas (   5 / 3) . At
V0 V0
equilibrium the piston divides the cylinder into two equal parts,
300 K 300 K
the temperature of gas being equal to 300 K. The piston is slowly
displaced by an external agent. Find the temperature of gas when
the volume of the greater section is seven times the volume of
the smaller section.

8. Three rods of material x and three rods of material y are C

connected as shown in figure. All the rods are of identical x x
length and cross-sectional area. If the end A is maintained at 60ºC y 10ºC
x E
60ºC and the junction E at 10ºC, calculate temperature of A B
junctions B, C and D. The thermal conductivity of x is 0.92 y y
cal/cm-sºC and that of y is 0.46 cal/cm-sºC. D

9. Ice at 0ºC is added to 200 g of water initially at 70ºC in a vacuum flask. When 50 g of ice has
been added and has all melted the temperature of the flask and contents is 40ºC. When a further
80 g of ice has been added and has all melted the temperature of the whole becomes 10ºC. Find
the specific latent heat of fusion of ice.

10. A hot body placed in a surrounding of temperature  0 obeys Newton’s law of cooling
d
  k (   0 ) . Its temperature at t = 0 is 1 . The specific heat capacity of the body is s and its
dt
mass is m. Find
(a) The maximum heat that the body can lose and
(b) The time starting from t = 0 in which it will lose 90% of this maximum heat.
 PROBLEMS

1. A solid body X of heat capacity C is kept in an atmosphere whose temperature is TA  300 K. At

time t  0 the temperature of X is T0  400 K. It cools according to Newton’s law of cooling. At
time t1 , its temperature is found to be 350 K.
At this time (t1 ) , the body X is connected to a large bodyx Y at atmospheric temperature TA ,
through a conducting rod of length L, cross-sectional area A and thermal conductivity K. The heat
capacity of Y is so large that any variation in its temperature may be neglected. The cross-
sectional area A of the connecting rod is small compared to the surface area of X. Find the
temperature of X at time t  3t1 .

2. Two moles of an ideal monatomic gas is taken through a cycle P

B C
ABCA as shown in the P-T diagram (figure). During the process 2P1
AB, pressure and temperature of the gas vary such that PT =
constant. If T1  300 K, calculate P1 A
(a) The work done on the gas in the process AB and T
T1 2T1
(b) The heat absorbed or released by gas in each of the process.
Give answers in terms of the gas constant R.

3. An ice cube of mass 0.1 kg at 0ºC is placed in an isolated container which is at 227ºC. The
specific heat capacity c of the container varies with temperature T according to the empirical
relation c = A + BT, where A = 100 cal/kg-K and B  2  102 cal/kg-K2. If the final temperature of
the container is 27ºC, determine the mass of the container.
(Latent heat of fusion for water  8  104 cal/kg, specific heat capacity of water  103 cal/kg-K).
4. A 5 m long cylindrical steel wire with radius 2  103 m is suspended vertically from a rigid
support and carries a bob of mass 100 kg at the other end. If the bob gets snapped, calculate the
change in temperature of the wire ignoring radiation losses.
(For the steel wire: Young’s modulus = 2.1 1011 Pa; Density = 7860 kg/m3; Specific heat capacity = 420
J/kg-K).
5. A monatomic ideal gas of two moles is taken through a cyclic D
VD C
process starting from A as shown in the figure. The volume ratios
VB VD V
are  2 and  4 . If the temperature TA at A is 27ºC,
VA AA VB B
Calculate VA
A
(a) The temperature of the gas at point B, O TA TB
(b) Heat absorbed or released by the gas in each process, T
(c) The total work done by the gas during the complete cycle.
Express your answer in terms of the gas constant R.

6. The top of an insulated cylindrical container is covered by a disc

having emissivity 0.6 and conductivity 0.167 W/Km and
thickness 1 cm. The temperature is maintained by circulating oil Oil out
as shown :
(a) Find the radiation loss to the surroundings in J/m2 s if Oil in
temperatrue of the upper surface of disc is 127ºC, and
temperature of surroundings is 27º.
(b) Also find the temperature of the circulating oil. Neglect the heat loss due to convection.
  17 8 2 4 
Given   3  10 Wm K 

7. A diatomic gas is enclosed in a container by a movable piston of cross-

sectional area A = 1 m2 at 300 K, as shown in the figure. The length of the
gas column is 1 m. The gas is now heated to 400 K isobarically.
(i) Find the new height of the piston.
(ii) Now the gas is compressed to its initial volume adiabatically. h=1m
Find the final temperature of the gas.

8. In the figure shown temperature of the furnace is maintained constant at

T1. Temperature of the surrounding medium is constant at Ts. Heat Insulation Ts
comes out of the furnace through a solid cylinder of thermal
conductivity K, cross sectional area A and length L. The temperature of T1
T2
the other end of the cylinder is T2 = Ts + T (T < < Ts ). If T  (T1 – Furnace
Ts ), find the proportionally constant. The cylinder losses the heat to the Insulation
surrounding only through radiation. Emisivity of the cylinder is .
 ANSWERS
OBJECTIVE UNSOLVED LEVEL – I

1. (c) 2. (d)

3. (b) 4. (b)

5. (c) 6. (d)

7. (a) 8. (b)

9. (b) 10. (a)

11. (a) 12. (b)

13. (c) 14. (c)

15. (b)

OBJECTIVE UNSOLVED LEVEL – II

1. (c) 2. (b)

3. (a) 4. (a)

5. (a) 6. (b)

7. (a) 8. (b)

9. (b) 10. (b)

11. (c) 12. (c)

13. (b) 14. (b)

15. (a)

SUBJECTIVE UNSOLVED (C.B.S.E.) LEVEL – I

1. 933.4 75 J 2. 0.01 cal g-1 c-1, smaller Formatted

3. 1.5 kg 4. 94.6103 ºC

5. 15.75 g min-1 6. – 69ºC

7. 3.77  102 N 8. 0.0145 0147

9. 33.07 W 296.4 W 10. 7 minute.

SUBJECTIVE UNSOLVED LEVEL – II

1. ( n  1) RT  RT n n 2. 0.918cm 2

3. 1.77J s 1m 1 K 1 4. 4. 1.78 J s 1

n1T1  n2T2
5.
n1  n2

6. (a) 6 cal (b) – 43 cal

(c) 40 cal (d) 18 cal., 18 cal

7. 21 P0 (both cases) 8. 25 cm from cold end

9. 0.3 10. 30ºC

SUBJECTIVE UNSOLVED LEVEL – III

5
1. Q  Q  3nRT  k  2 2. C  2R
2

3. p1  1.25 G Pa Formatted
p2  2.8 G Pa Formatted
p3  1.56 G Pa Formatted

2 q Formatted
4.  5. = 750 J
5 p0 S  Mg

p0 M p0 M   
6. (a) W12   n(2) (b)  n 2
0 0  2 
pM 2
W23  0 , (c) (1  n2)
0 5
 W31  0

7. 395 K 8. TB  30C
TC  TD  20C

9. 3.78  105 J / kg 10. (a) ms (1  0 )

n10
(b)
k

SUBJECTIVE UNSOLVED LEVEL

1. Tx  300K  (12.5)e2 KAt1 / CL 2. (a) Work done on gas = (1200 mol K) R

(b) QCA  (1200 mol K ) R n2
Q AB  2100 R , Q BC  1500 R .

3. m  0.495 kg 4. T  0.00457 K

5. (a) TB  600 K 6. (a) 595 watt/m2

(b) QD A  (1200 mol K ) R n 2 , (b) 162.6ºC
Q AB  1500 R
Q BC  831.6 R Formatted
Q C D  900R Formatted
(c) Q  (600 mol K ) R

K
7. (i) 4 m, 8. Proportionality constant =
3 4 LTs3  K
(ii) 448.8 K
 KINETIC THEORY OF GASES
(SUPPLEMENTARY)
Gases are made-up of tiny particles, consisting of molecules, atoms or even ions (sometimes) which retain
the chemical properties of the sample of which they are composed.
The kinetic theory of gases develop a model of the molecular behavior which should result in the
observed behavior of an ideal gas.

Assumptions
(i) Molecules (whose size is extremely small in comparison to the separation between them), are
moving randomly in all directions.
(ii) Molecules exert no appreciable force on one another or on the walls of the container except
during collision.
(iii) All collisions between the molecules or with the wall of the container are perfectly elastic.
(iv) The duration of a collision is negligible in comparison to the time spent by a molecule between
collisions.
(v) In steady state, the density and the distribution of molecules with different velocities are
independent of position, direction and time.
This assumption is justified if the number of molecules is very large.
(vi) The molecules obey Newton’s Laws of motion.
The assumptions of kinetic theory are close to the real situation at low densities.

Exercise 1: Can ideal gas be liquefied ?

PRESSURE OF AN IDEAL GAS:

Considering an ideal gas enclosed in a cubical vessel of edge L. Y
Considering a molecule moving with velocity
    vy
v  vx  vy  vz
 v vx
| v | vx2  v y2  vz2 Face 2 X
Face 1
The change in momentums of the molecule on collision with face 1
P  ( mvx )  ( mvx )  2mvx Z
 Momentum imparted to the wall = 2mvx
Time between two successive collision on face 1
2L
t 
vx
 Rate at which momentum is imparted to the wall
 
 1  m 2
F  P / t  (2 mx )   x

 2L  L
 
 x 
 Total force on the face 1 due to the all molecules
F  mvx2 / L  m / L vx2 …(i)
2 2 2
As v  v  v
x y z

1 1
 v 2
x 
3
  vx2  vy2  vz2   3  v 2 …(ii)
 2
1m 1 mN  v
 F  v2 
3L 3 L N
where N = total number of molecules in the sample.
2
Force 1 mN  v
Now, pressure   3
Area 3 L N
2
1 v mN
P  where   3
3 N L
2
1 2
P  v , v 2 
 is the mean square speed.
v
3 N

RMS SPEED:
1
2
 v 2 dN 
It is defined as vrms    
  dN 
 
1
 N v 2  N 2v22  .......  2
vrms   1 1 
 N1  N 2  ...... 
here N1 molecules have speed v1 , N 2 molecules have speed v2 ……..
1 2
since P  n.M vrms
3
If we take n mole gas
1 2
 PV  n.M vrms
3
1 2
 nRT  n.M vrms
3
3RT
vrms 
M

KINETIC INTERPRETATION OF TEMPERATURE:

Kinetic energy for random motion is internal energy, given as
1 2
KEint  m. vrms
2
1 3RT 3
 n.M  .n.RT
2 M 2
Here we have considered kinetic energy of translation only. It we consider rotation as well as vibration,
f
then in general KEint  n.RT where f is degree of freedom.
2
2
 T KEint
nRf
i.e. T  KEint
This means temperature of a body depends on its internal KE. At absolute zero temperature KEint
becomes zero.
Exercise 2: A container filled with gas is placed on a car which is moving on a circular path with a
constant speed. Can we define the temperature of gas ?

Illustration 1: Given : Avegadro’s number N  6.02  1023 and Boltzmann’s constant

23
k  1.38  10 J / k . Calculate
(i) The average kinetic energy of translation of the molecules of an ideal gas at 0ºC
and at 100ºC.
(ii) Also calculate the corresponding energies per mole of the gas.

Solution : (i) According to the kinetic theory, the average kinetic energy of translation per
molecule of an ideal gas at Kelvin temperature. T is (3/ 2) kT , where k is
Boltzmann’s constant.
3
At 0ºC (T  273K ) , the kinetic energy of translation  kT
2
3
  1.38  1023 )  273  5.65  1021 J / molecule
2
At 100C, (T  373 K ) , the energy is
3
  (1.38  1023 )  373  7.72  1021 J / molecule
2
(ii) 1 mole of gas contains N (  6.02  1023 ) molecules. Therefore, at 0ºC, the kinetic
energy of translation of 1 mole of the gas is
 (5.65  1021 ) (6.02  1023 )  3401 J / mole
and at 100ºC, the kinetic energy of translation of 1 mole of gas is
 (7.72  1021 ) (6.02  1023 )  4647 J / mole.

DEGREES OF FREEDOM:
The degrees of freedom of a particle are the number of independent motions, which the particle can
undergo, or the number of independent methods of gaining energy.

LAW OF EQUIPARTITION OF ENERGY:

For a system in equilibrium at absolute temperature T, the average energy per particle associated with
1
each degree of freedom is kT
2
Where k is Boltzmann’s constant.

The internal energy of an ideal gas is entirely the kinetic energy of its molecules.
 Internal energy of one mole of an ideal gas, having ‘f’ degrees of freedom.
1 1
U  N  f  kT  fRT
2 2
N  Avogadro’s Number R  kN
If the gas is heated at constant volume, until its temperature rises by dT . Then heat supplied
dQ  Cv dT
As dQ  dU [ dW  0]
 dU 1
 dU  Cv dT or Cv   fR
dT 2
f  f 
 CP  Cv  R R  R    1  R
2 2 
 f 
 1 r
C P  2   1 2
 Ratio of the two specific heats  
Cv f f
R
2
 A molecule of monatomic gas has only 3(translational) degrees of freedom f  3 .
f 3
 Cv  R  R
2 2
 f  7
CP    1  R  R
2  2
2 7
  1    1.40
f 5
 A molecule of triatomic or polyatomic gas has 6 degrees of freedom (3 translational and 3
rotational)
f 6
f
Cv  R  3R
2
 f 
CP    1 R  4 R
2 
2 4
   2    1.33
f 3

However if the atoms of the molecule are arranged in one line (like the molecule of CO2) then the degrees
of freedom are only 5 and its Cv , C P &  values will be similar to those of the diatomic gases.

Illustration 2: How many degrees of freedom have the gas molecules, if under standard conditions the
gas density is   1.3 mg / cm3 and the velocity of sound propgation in it is v  330 m / s .

 P  v 2
Solution :  v   or 
  P
If f be the number of degree of freedom, then
2 2
f  
  1  v 2 / P   1
 
P  1.013  105 N / m 2
  1.3 mg / cm 3  1.3 kg / m3 ,
v  330 m / s .
f 5
Illustration 3: The first excited state of hydrogen atom is 10.2 eV above its lowest state. At what
temperature the hydrogen atom will be excited to this state ? k  1.38  1023 J / K .

Solution : 1eV  1.6  1019 J

 10.2 eV  16.32  1019 J
Let T K be the temperature at which the hydrogen atom will have an average kinetic
energy of 16.32  1019 J . Then, by the law of equi-partition of energy, we have
3
kT  16.32  1019 J
2
Now, the Boltzmann’s constant k  1.38  1023 J / K
2 16.32  1019
 T 
3 k
2 16.32  1019
   8  104 J / K
3 1.38  1023

INTERNAL ENERGY OF IDEAL GAS:

In case of ideal gas, no internal force of interaction exists. Hence internal potential energy is zero. Internal
energy of ideal gas is only internal kinetic energy.
f
U  n.RT
2
f
U  n.R T
2
Internal energy is function of state.

Exercise 3: In a room with open door and windows a room heater is made ON. How much internal
energy of gas inside the room increases after time T ? Given power of heater is P.

Illustration 4: One mole ideal monatomic gas is taken at temperature of 300K. Its volume is doubled
keeping its pressure constant. Find the change in the internal energy.

Solution : Since pressure constant

 v T
vi v f
 
Ti T f
vf
 Tf  Ti
vi
 2Ti  600 K
f
 U  n.R T
2
3
 1.R.(600  300)
2
= 450 R.
 UNSOLVED OBJECTIVE

1. A gas behaves more closely as an ideal gas at

(a) low pressure and low temperature (b) low pressure and high temperature
(c) high pressure and low temperature (d) high pressure and high temperature.

2. Figure shows graphs of pressure vs. density for an ideal gas at P T1

two temperatures T1 and T2 . T2
(a) T1  T2
(b) T1  T2

(c) T1  T2
(d) any of the three is possible.
Formatted
3. The rms speed of oxygen molecules in a gas is  . If the temperature is doubled and the oxygen
molecules dissociate into oxygen atoms, the rms speed will become
(a) (b)
(c) (d) .

4. A vessel A has volume V and a vessel B has volume 2V. Both contain some water which has a
constant volume. The pressure in the space above water is Pa for vessel A and Pb for vessel B.
(a) Pa  Pb (b) Pa  2 Pb
(c) Pb  2Pa (d) Pb  4Pa .

5. Consider a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen kept at room temperature. As compared to a

hydrogen molecule an oxygen molecule hits the wall
(a) with greater average speed (b) with smaller average speed
(c) with greater average kinetic energy (d) with smaller average kinetic energy.
Formatted
23 1
6. The average kinetic energy per molecule of an ideal gas at 0ºC ( k  1.38  10 J K ) is Formatted
18 23
(a) 5.8  10 J (b) 9.5  10 J Formatted
(c) 6.5  1021 J (d) 11.3  1022 J . Formatted
Formatted
73. The rms speed of helium at 27ºC and 1 atm pressure is 900 m s-1. Then the rms speed of the
Formatted
helium molecules at 27ºC and 2 atm pressure is :
(a) 450 m s-1 (b) 1800 m s-1 Formatted
(c) 900 m s-1 (d) 750 m s-1. Formatted
Formatted
84. The molecules of two ideal gases have the same rms speed. Their absolute temperatures are T1
and T2 , and their molecular weights are M 1 and M 2 . Formatted

(a) T1 / T2  M1 / M 2 (b) T1 / T2  M 1 / M 2 Formatted

Formatted
(c) T1 / T2  M 2 / M 1 (d) T1 / T2  M 2 / M 1 .
Formatted
9. Suppose a molecule strikes a particular wall of a cubical vessel at t  0 : Formatted
(a) it will strike the opposite wall immediately after t  0 Formatted
(b) it will never reach the opposite wall
Formatted
 (c) it will strike the opposite wall after a long interval

105. Three vessels A, B and C are at the same temperature and contain gases which obey the
Maxwellian distribution of velocities. Vessel A contains only O2 , B only N 2 , and C, a mixture of Formatted
equal quantities of O2 and N 2 . If the average speed of O2 molecules in vessel A is v1 , that of the Formatted
N 2 molecules in vessels B is v2 , the average speed of the O2 molecules in vessel C is Formatted
(a) (v1  v2 ) / 2 (b) v1 Formatted
(c) v1v2 (d) 3kT / M . Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
Formatted
 SUBJECTIVE UNSOLVED

1. Sample of 0.177 g of an ideal gas occupies 1000 cm3 at STP. Calculate the rms speed of the gas
molecules.

2. Air is pumped into an automobile tyre’s tube upto a pressure of 200 kPa in the morning when the
air temperature is 20ºC. During the day the temperature rises to 40ºC and the tube expends by
20%. Calculate the pressure of the air in the tube at this temperature.
Formatted

3. An ideal gas is kept in a long cylindrical vessels fitted with a frictionless piston of cross-sectional Formatted
area 10 cm2 and weight 1 kg. The length of the gas column in the vessel is 20 cm. The Formatted
atmospheric pressure is 100 kPa. The vessel is now taken into a spaceship revolving round the
earth as a satellite. The air pressure in the spaceship is maintained at 100 kPa. Find the length of Formatted
the gas column in the cylinder. Formatted
Formatted
4. The temperature of a gas consisting of rigid diatomic molecules is T = 300 K. Calculate the
angular root mean square velocity of a rotating molecule if its moment of inertia is I = 2.0  10-40 Formatted
kg m2. Formatted
Formatted
5. Find the rms speed of helium and argon molecules at 40ºC if the rms speed of oxygen molecules
at 0ºC be 460 m s-1. The molecular weight of oxygen is 32 g mol-1, of argon 40, of helium 4. Formatted
Formatted
6. A mass M = 15 g of nitrogen is enclosed in a vessel at temperature T = 300 K. what amount of
Formatted
heat to be transferred to the gas to increase the room mean square velocity of molecules n  2
times ? Formatted
Formatted
7. At what temperature is the root mean squared speed of an atom in an argon gas cylinder equal the
rms speed of a helium gas atom at –20ºC ? (atomic mass of Ar = 39.9, of He = 4.0). Formatted
Formatted
8. How many degrees of freedom do the molecules of a gas have if under standard conditions the gas
Formatted
density   1.3kg m 3 and the velocity of sound propagation in it is   330 ms 1 ?
Formatted
1. Two glass bulbs of equal volume are connected by a narrow tube and are filled with a gas at 0º C
and a pressure of 76 cm of mercury. One of the bulbs is then placed in melting ice and the other is Formatted
placed in water bath maintained at 62º C. What is the new value of the pressure inside the bulbs? Formatted
The volume of the connecting tube is negligible.
Formatted
2. Calculate the ratio of the speed of sound in neon to that in water vapour at any temperature (molar Formatted
weight of neon  2.02  102 kg/mole and molar weight of water vapour 1.8  102 kg-mole). Formatted
Formatted
3. A gaseous mixture enclosed in a vessel of volume V consists of one gram mole of a gas A with
Formatted
 (C P / CV )  5 / 3 and another has B with   7 / 5 at a certain temperature T . The gram
Formatted
molecular weights of the gases A and B are 4 and 32 respectively. The gases A and B do not
react with each other and are assumed to be ideal. The gaseous mixture follows the equation Formatted

PV 19 /13  constant, in adiabatic processes. Formatted

(a) Find the number of gram moles of the gas B in the gaseous mixture. Formatted
(b) Compute the speed of sound in the gaseous mixture at T  300 K . Formatted
(c) If T is raised by 1 K from 300 K, find the percentage change in the speed of sound in the Formatted
gaseous mixture.
Formatted
 (d) The mixture is compressed adiabatically to 1/5 of its initial volume V . Find the change in its Formatted
adiabatic compressibility in terms of the given quantities. Formatted
2
4. A cubical box of side 1 metre contains helium gas (atomic weight 4) at a pressure of 100 N/m .
During an observation time of 1 second, an atom travelling with the root-mean-square speed
parallel to one of the edges of the cube, was found to made 500 hits with a particular wall, without
any collision with other atoms.
25 Formatted
Take R  J/mol-K and k  1.38  1023 J/K
3 Formatted
(a) Evaluate the temperature of the gas. Formatted
(b) Evaluate the average kinetic energy per atom.
(c) Evaluate the total mass of helium gas in the box. Formatted

5. An astronaut takes a cylinder of volume 10 litres containing nitrogen gas at a temperature of 27º C
and pressure 50 atmosphere. He makes a hole of area 1 sq. cm. in this cylinder and places it in
open space. Estimate the time it would take for the cylinder to become empty. (Boltzmann
constant  1.38  1023 J/K) Formatted
Formatted
 Formatted
9. A parallel beam of nitrogen molecules moving with velocity   400 ms 1 impinges on a wall at
an angle   30 to its normal. The concentration of molecules in the beam is n  9  1018 cm 3 .
Find the pressure exerted by the beam on the wall assuming that collisions are perfectly elastic.

10. The average velocity of molecules of a gas must be zero if the gas as a whole and the container
are not in translational motion. Explain how it can be that the average speed is not zero.
 ANSWERS
OBJECTIVE UNSOLVED

1. (b)
2. (a)

3. (c)
4. (a)

5. (b)
6. (d)
7. (c)
8. (a)
9. (c)
10. (b)

SUBJECTIVE UNSOLVED
1.1300 m/s Formatted: Bullets and Numbering
2.209 k Pa
3.22 cm
4. 4.5  109 rad s 1 Formatted
5. 441ms 1 Formatted
6.10 kJ
7.2524 K.
8. r  5 Formatted
9.1 atm
10. c 2  8.4  104 m2 s 2 Formatted

1. 83.75 cm of mercury 2. 1.06

3. (a) 2 gm/mole (b) 400.7 m/s

(c) 0.17% (d) 2.487  103 V / T Formatted
Formatted
4. (a) 160 K (b) 3.312  102 Joules Formatted
(c) 3  104 kg
Formatted

5. 0.387 sec. Formatted

Formatted