Physics · Law of equipartition of energy and applications to specific heat capacities of gases

If for a gas then the gas is made up of molecules which are :

If for a gas \( \frac{\boldsymbol{R}}{\boldsymbol{C}_{\boldsymbol{v}}}=\mathbf{0 . 6 7}, \) then the gas is made up of molecules which are :

  • A. Diatomic
  • B. Monoatomic
  • C. Polyatomic
  • D. Mixture of Diatomic \& Polyatomic

Step-by-step solution

For an ideal gas, C_v = (f/2)R, where f is degrees of freedom. Thus R/C_v = 2/f. Given R/C_v = 0.67 ≈ 2/3, we get f = 3. Monoatomic gases have f = 3 (translational only), so the gas is monoatomic.
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