Thermal Energy Formula:
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Definition: This calculator computes the average thermal energy of a non-linear polyatomic gas molecule, considering translational, rotational, and vibrational degrees of freedom.
Purpose: It helps physicists and chemists understand the energy distribution in non-linear polyatomic gas molecules at a given temperature.
The calculator uses the formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula sums three components: translational energy (3/2 kBT), rotational energy (1/2 Iω² terms), and vibrational energy ((3N-6)kBT).
Details: Understanding thermal energy distribution helps predict molecular behavior, heat capacity, and thermodynamic properties of gases.
Tips: Enter temperature in Kelvin, moments of inertia in kg·m², angular velocities in rad/s, and atomicity (minimum 3 for non-linear molecules).
Q1: Why is atomicity important in this calculation?
A: Atomicity determines the number of vibrational degrees of freedom (3N-6 for non-linear molecules).
Q2: What if my molecule is linear?
A: For linear molecules, the formula changes - use (3N-5) for vibrational degrees instead of (3N-6).
Q3: What's the significance of the Boltzmann constant?
A: It relates temperature to energy at the molecular level (energy per degree of freedom).
Q4: Can I set angular velocity to zero?
A: Yes, if there's no rotational motion, but non-linear molecules typically have rotational energy at T > 0K.
Q5: Why are there only two rotational terms?
A: For non-linear molecules, there are three rotational degrees of freedom, but we've simplified to two in this calculator.