Chemistry › Section I · Gases › Topic I.5
Kinetic-molecular theory
The gas laws describe what gases do; the kinetic-molecular theory explains why. Picture a gas as tiny particles racing about and bouncing off each other and the walls, and every gas law, along with the speeds of the molecules themselves, follows.
In this topic
- From laws to a model
- The five postulates
- Explaining pressure, Boyle and Amontons
- Explaining Charles, Avogadro and Dalton
- Kinetic energy and temperature
- The root-mean-square speed
- Worked example: how fast is oxygen?
- The spread of molecular speeds
- Worked example: heating a gas
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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