Thermal Energy Formula:
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Definition: This calculator computes the average thermal energy of a linear polyatomic gas molecule, considering translational, rotational, and vibrational degrees of freedom.
Purpose: It helps physicists and chemists understand the energy distribution in polyatomic gas molecules at a given temperature.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula accounts for translational (3/2 kBT), rotational (½Iω² terms), and vibrational ((3N-5)kBT) energy contributions.
Details: Understanding thermal energy distribution helps predict molecular behavior, reaction rates, and thermodynamic properties of gases.
Tips: Enter temperature in Kelvin, moments of inertia in kg·m², angular velocities in rad/s, and atomicity (number of atoms in molecule).
Q1: What is atomicity in this context?
A: Atomicity refers to the number of atoms in the polyatomic gas molecule (e.g., 2 for diatomic, 3 for triatomic).
Q2: Why are there two rotational terms?
A: For linear molecules, rotation about two perpendicular axes (Y and Z) contributes to the energy.
Q3: What if my molecule is nonlinear?
A: The formula would change - this calculator is specifically for linear polyatomic molecules.
Q4: Why is the vibrational term (3N-5)kBT?
A: For linear molecules, there are 3N-5 vibrational degrees of freedom (3N total minus 3 translational minus 2 rotational).
Q5: What are typical values for moments of inertia?
A: For small molecules, moments of inertia are typically in the range of 10⁻⁴⁷ to 10⁻⁴⁵ kg·m².