A scuba tank has a volume of 3100 cm³. For very deep dives, the tank is filled with 50% (by volume) pure oxygen and 50% pure helium. What is the ratio of the average kinetic energies of the two types of molecule?
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21. Kinetic Theory of Ideal Gases
Kinetic-Molecular Theory of Gases
Problem 73b
Textbook Question
Consider a container like that shown in the Figure, with n1 moles of a monatomic gas on one side and n2 moles of a diatomic gas on the other. The monatomic gas has initial temperature T1i. The diatomic gas has initial temperature T2i. Show that the equilibrium temperature is


1
Step 1: Understand the problem. We are tasked with finding the equilibrium temperature when two gases, one monatomic and one diatomic, are allowed to exchange heat in a thermally insulated container. The system is isolated, so the total internal energy remains constant.
Step 2: Write the expression for the internal energy of each gas. For a monatomic gas, the internal energy is given by \( U_1 = \frac{3}{2} n_1 R T_1 \), where \( n_1 \) is the number of moles, \( R \) is the gas constant, and \( T_1 \) is the temperature. For a diatomic gas, the internal energy is \( U_2 = \frac{5}{2} n_2 R T_2 \), where \( n_2 \) is the number of moles and \( T_2 \) is the temperature.
Step 3: Apply the principle of conservation of energy. At equilibrium, the total internal energy of the system remains constant. This means the sum of the initial internal energies of the two gases equals the sum of their internal energies at equilibrium: \( \frac{3}{2} n_1 R T_{1i} + \frac{5}{2} n_2 R T_{2i} = \frac{3}{2} n_1 R T_{eq} + \frac{5}{2} n_2 R T_{eq} \).
Step 4: Simplify the equation to solve for the equilibrium temperature \( T_{eq} \). Factor out \( R \) and rearrange terms: \( T_{eq} = \frac{3 n_1 T_{1i} + 5 n_2 T_{2i}}{3 n_1 + 5 n_2} \).
Step 5: Interpret the result. The equilibrium temperature \( T_{eq} \) is a weighted average of the initial temperatures \( T_{1i} \) and \( T_{2i} \), with the weights determined by the number of moles and the degrees of freedom of each gas. This result reflects the distribution of energy according to the equipartition theorem.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Thermodynamic Equilibrium
Thermodynamic equilibrium occurs when a system's macroscopic properties, such as temperature and pressure, become uniform throughout. In the context of gases, this means that after sufficient time, the temperatures of the monatomic and diatomic gases will equalize, leading to a single equilibrium temperature. This concept is crucial for understanding how energy is distributed between different types of gases in a closed system.
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Heat Capacity
Heat capacity is the amount of heat required to change a substance's temperature by a given amount. For gases, the heat capacity can vary depending on whether the gas is monatomic or diatomic. Monatomic gases typically have a lower heat capacity than diatomic gases due to their simpler molecular structure, which affects how they store thermal energy. This concept is essential for calculating the final equilibrium temperature when two gases with different heat capacities are mixed.
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Overview of Heat Transfer
First Law of Thermodynamics
The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. In the context of the two gases, the heat lost by the hotter gas will equal the heat gained by the cooler gas, leading to the establishment of an equilibrium temperature. This principle is fundamental for analyzing energy exchanges in thermodynamic processes and is key to solving problems involving multiple gases.
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The First Law of Thermodynamics
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