What is te kinetic energy of CH4 molecules in a sample of gas at 273k?

Answer 1

The average kinetic energy of one molecule is 3/2kt where k is Boltzmann constant, 1.38 x 10^-23 J/K, and t is the temperature in Kelvins. The equation for this becomes:

KE = 3/2 x 1.38 x 10^-23 J/K x 273 K = 5.66x10^-21 J.

For one mole of methane, the Kinetic Energy is:

5.66x10^-21 J/1 molecule x 6.022 x 10²³ molecules/ mole = 3.40 kJ/mole.

There are 3.40 KiloJoules per mole.