Kinetic Energy
What is Kinetic Energy?
Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object or particle by virtue of its motion, given by the equation KE = ½mv², where m is mass and v is velocity. In chemistry and thermodynamics, the average kinetic energy of gas molecules is directly proportional to the absolute temperature (KE_avg = 3/2 kT), which forms the basis of the kinetic molecular theory of gases. The distribution of kinetic energies among molecules in a sample is described by the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution.
Key Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object or particle by virtue of its motion, given by the equation KE = ½mv², where m is mass and v is velocity. In chemistry and thermodynamics, the average kinetic energy of gas molecules is directly proportional to the absolute temperature (KE_avg = 3/2 kT), which forms the basis of the kinetic molecular theory of gases. The distribution of kinetic energies among molecules in a sample is described by the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution.