Kinetic theory of gases
Gaseous State · Chemistry
Gas piston lab
Interactive 3DHeat the gas and watch molecules speed up — pressure obeys the gas laws live.
Controls
Drag the sliders or type a value — the simulation updates live.
K
200K600K
×
0.5×2×
Study notes
Calculate the RMS speed of O₂ at 300 K (M = 0.032 kg/mol). Step 1: u_rms = √(3RT/M) = √(3 × 8.314 × 300 / 0.032). Step 2: = √(233,831) ≈ 483 m/s. Step 3: That's ~1700 km/h — yet perfume crosses a room slowly! Step 4: Because molecules collide billions of times per second, zigzagging — diffusion is slow despite high speeds.