Equations
Root-mean-square speed of gas molecules
Thermodynamics · id rms_speed
v_{rms} = \sqrt{\frac{3 k_B T}{m}}
| Symbol | Quantity | Unit | Meaning | Usual range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
v | rms speed | m/s | Root-mean-square molecular speed | 1 to 100000 |
kB | Boltzmann constant | J/K | Boltzmann's constant | |
T | temperature | K | Absolute temperature of the gas | 1 to 1e+06 |
m | molecular mass | kg | Mass of one molecule | 1e-27 to 1e-24 |
Assumptions
- Ideal gas
Valid when
- Speeds far below the speed of light
Found by
Questions with these words retrieve this equation: kinetic theory, molecule, rms speed, gas, temperature, how fast molecules move.
Source
OpenStax University Physics Volume 2, Chapter 2 (reference; entry written by the project). License: MIT. Entry confidence: 0.99.