The average translational kinetic energy of nitrogen molecule

AI Thread Summary
The average translational kinetic energy of a nitrogen molecule is calculated using the formula 3/2 kT, where k is the Boltzmann constant and T is the temperature. Although nitrogen is diatomic and has 5 degrees of freedom, the translational kinetic energy remains determined by the translational degrees of freedom, which is 3. The discussion highlights a common misconception regarding the application of degrees of freedom in kinetic energy calculations. The calculated energy value presented is E=1*10^-20. Overall, the consensus is that translational energy for nitrogen should be based on the 3/2 kT formula.
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1. The average translational kinetic energy of a nitrogen molecule at temperature is _____


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2.



3. The Attempt at a Solution :
since nitrogen is diatomic then it has 5 degrees of freedom and therefore the average kinetic energy wouldn't be 3/2kt it would rather be 5/2kt and therefore E=1*10^-20
[PLAIN]http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/5361/picba.png
 
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Yes but translational energy would still be 3/2kT.
 
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