According to the kinetic molecular theory, what happens to the average kinetic energy of gas particles as temperature increases?

• A. It decreases.
• B. It remains constant.
• C. It increases.
• D. It becomes negative.

Answer: (C)

In the context of the kinetic molecular theory, the average kinetic energy of gas particles is directly related to the temperature of the gas. As temperature increases, the energy of the particles also increases. This relationship is foundational in thermodynamics, as the temperature of a substance is a measure of the average kinetic energy of its particles.

When the temperature rises, the particles move faster and collide with one another with greater energy. The equation ( KE = \frac{3}{2} kT ) illustrates this, where ( KE ) represents the average kinetic energy, ( k ) is the Boltzmann constant, and ( T ) is the absolute temperature in Kelvin. As ( T ) increases, the term ( kT ) increases, leading to a higher average kinetic energy.

Thus, the correct understanding is that as the temperature of a gas increases, the average kinetic energy of its particles also increases accordingly.