Temperature dependence of heat capacity of diatomic gas
Not what you're looking for?
Describe the temperature dependence of the heat capacity of a diatomic gas.
Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary
A detailed explanation is given. The expert examines temperature dependence of heat capacity of diatomic gas.
Solution Preview
You should just draw the sketches qualitatively, don't do any complicated computations here.
At zero temperature the heat capacity is zero. All the degrees of freedom are "frozen", i.e. k T is smaller than the spacing of the energy levels. Then, if we raise the temperature, the heat capacity of the translational degrees of freedom rises to it's asymptotic value of 3/2 k. Depending on the volume this transition from zero to 3/2 k happens over the course of
10^(-10) K. So, this would be the first part of the sketch.
Next the rotational degrees of freedom start to kick in. This happens at a few tens of K, you can take e.g. 40 K. So, what you see is that the value of the heat capacity slowly starts to rise from 3/2 k to 5/2 k around 40 K ...
Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Basic Physics
This quiz will test your knowledge about basic Physics.
Variables in Science Experiments
How well do you understand variables? Test your knowledge of independent (manipulated), dependent (responding), and controlled variables with this 10 question quiz.
Introduction to Nanotechnology/Nanomaterials
This quiz is for any area of science. Test yourself to see what knowledge of nanotechnology you have. This content will also make you familiar with basic concepts of nanotechnology.
The Moon
Test your knowledge of moon phases and movement.
Classical Mechanics
This quiz is designed to test and improve your knowledge on Classical Mechanics.