How does increased thermal energy affect the motion of particles in a gas?

How does increased thermal energy affect the motion of particles in a gas?

• A. Particles move slower
• B. Particles move faster
• C. Temperature doesn't affect motion
• D. Particles stop moving

Answer: (B)

Increasing thermal energy raises the average kinetic energy of gas particles, so their speeds go up. Gas particles are in constant random motion, and when temperature climbs, the typical speed increases, leading to more energetic and faster collisions. There’s still a range of speeds at any given temperature, but the whole distribution shifts toward higher values as energy rises, meaning the overall motion becomes faster on average. The idea that temperature doesn’t affect motion or that particles stop moving doesn’t align with how kinetic theory describes gases; at any nonzero temperature there is continuous motion, and higher temperature means more vigorous motion.

Increasing thermal energy raises the average kinetic energy of gas particles, so their speeds go up. Gas particles are in constant random motion, and when temperature climbs, the typical speed increases, leading to more energetic and faster collisions. There’s still a range of speeds at any given temperature, but the whole distribution shifts toward higher values as energy rises, meaning the overall motion becomes faster on average. The idea that temperature doesn’t affect motion or that particles stop moving doesn’t align with how kinetic theory describes gases; at any nonzero temperature there is continuous motion, and higher temperature means more vigorous motion.