How Fast Do Air Molecules Move and How Many Are There?

[pallidin]

"As you read these words, the air’s molecules are *zipping around you at 2,000 miles per hour, faster than a speeding bullet, and bombarding you from all sides."

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=demons-entropy-and-the-quest

That article is a link here on PF. Anyway, found it interesting. Didn't know that air molecules go that fast.

 

[Drakkith]

Yep. Just think of the velocities of something like an ionized plasma inside a Fusion Reactor at a million degrees. Thats REALLY fast. Or the LHC protons...now THAT is some serious speed. 99.9999% the speed of light or something like that? Crazy...and awesome.

 

[uart]

Hi Pallidin. Each air molecule only weighs around 0.00000000000000000000005 grams (0.0000000000000000000000017 onces). Can you image how fast they must be traveling and how many of them there must be to exert a force of 14.4 pounds for every square inch of surface they contact!. This force being due solely to the change in momentum as they bounce off that surface.