Rms speed for particles emerging from an oven

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the root mean square (rms) speed of particles in a gas, specifically neon atoms at 300 K and particles emerging from an oven at 500 K. The original poster attempts to apply a formula involving the distribution of particle speeds and questions whether the same approach applies to particles emerging from the oven.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of the rms speed formula and whether it remains valid for particles emerging from an oven. There is a focus on the implications of thermal equilibrium and the significance of the mass of the particles in the calculations.

Discussion Status

Some participants suggest that the formula used in part (a) should suffice for part (b), while others emphasize the importance of knowing the mass of the particles. There is an ongoing exploration of how to express the answer in terms of mass when it is unspecified.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the assumption that the oven's walls are at thermal equilibrium with the gas particles and that the particles are in a gaseous state. There is uncertainty regarding the mass of the particles involved in the calculations.

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The rms speed for a particle in a gas can be calculated using the formulae:

u_{rms}=\sqrt{\int(u^{2}n(u)du)/N}

a) Use the formulae and the expression for n(u):

n(u)=(\frac{2^{1/2}N}{\pi^{1/2}})(\frac{m}{k_{B}T})^{3/2}u^{2}exp(-\frac{mu^{2}}{2k_{B}T})

To estimate the rms speed of Ne atoms in a gas at 300k given that the mass of an Ne atom is 3.32x10^{-26}kg.

b)What is the rms speed of particles emerging from an oven with walls at 500k?

I have done a) and got the answer (\frac{3k_{B}T}{m})^{1/2} and then I got a numerical value.

I am stuck on b) Is the equation to find the rms speed for a particle emerging from an oven different to the rms equation above. I know in my notes the total flux that emerges from the oven is proportional to \int(un(u)du)

Any help would be great thanks
 
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Hi.
The oven's walls are supposed to be at thermal equilibrium with their content if not otherwise specified; the particles emerging are assumed to be in a gaseous form if not otherwise specified. Thus your formula in (a) should be enough to help you...
 
Goddar said:
Hi.
The oven's walls are supposed to be at thermal equilibrium with their content if not otherwise specified; the particles emerging are assumed to be in a gaseous form if not otherwise specified. Thus your formula in (a) should be enough to help you...

So you are saying to use the result from (a) but we do not know the mass of the particles?
 
Well obviously the answer is going to depend on the mass of the particles, so if it's not specified just give the answer in terms of m...
 
Goddar said:
Well obviously the answer is going to depend on the mass of the particles, so if it's not specified just give the answer in terms of m...

are you saying I just use 3NkT/m and sub in 500k? There is no extra calculation that what was done in part (a)?
 
Your formula in (a) doesn't involve N: m is the only variable left once you have the temperature.
 

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