Skip to main content
Ch 20: The Micro/Macro Connection
Chapter 20, Problem 20

b. A nitrogen molecule consists of two nitrogen atoms separated by 0.11 nm, the bond length. Treat the molecule as a rotating dumbbell and find the rms angular velocity at this temperature of a nitrogen molecule around the z-axis, as shown in Figure 20.10.

Verified Solution

Video duration:
7m
This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.
Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Bond Length

Bond length refers to the distance between the nuclei of two bonded atoms. In the case of a nitrogen molecule (N2), the bond length is 0.11 nm, which is crucial for understanding the molecular structure and dynamics. This distance influences the molecule's rotational and vibrational properties, affecting how it behaves under various conditions.
Recommended video:
Guided course
10:54
Spinning on a string of variable length

RMS Angular Velocity

RMS (Root Mean Square) angular velocity is a statistical measure of the average angular velocity of a rotating object. It provides a way to quantify the rotational motion of the nitrogen molecule around an axis, in this case, the z-axis. This concept is essential for analyzing the kinetic energy and thermal motion of molecules in a gas.
Recommended video:
Guided course
07:14
RMS Current and Voltage

Rotational Motion

Rotational motion describes the movement of an object around an axis. For a nitrogen molecule treated as a rotating dumbbell, this involves understanding how the two nitrogen atoms rotate about their center of mass. The temperature of the system influences the energy and speed of this rotation, which can be analyzed using principles from statistical mechanics.
Recommended video:
Guided course
07:18
Equations of Rotational Motion
Related Practice
Textbook Question
At 100℃ the rms speed of nitrogen molecules is 576 m/s. Nitrogen at 100℃ and a pressure of 2.0 atm is held in a container with a 10 cm x 10 cm square wall. Estimate the rate of molecular collisions (collisions/s) on this wall.
359
views
Textbook Question
5.0 x 10²³ nitrogen molecules collide with a 10 cm² wall each second. Assume that the molecules all travel with a speed of 400 m/s and strike the wall head-on. What is the pressure on the wall?
280
views
Textbook Question
a. What is the total rotational kinetic energy of 1.0 mol of nitrogen gas at 300 K?
275
views
Textbook Question
The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the discovery of graphene, a two-dimensional form of carbon in which the atoms form a two-dimensional crystal-lattice sheet only one atom thick. Predict the molar specific heat of graphene. Give your answer as a multiple of R.
351
views
Textbook Question
Consider a container like that shown in Figure 20.12, 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. a. Show that the equilibrium thermal energies are
245
views
Textbook Question
You are watching a science fiction movie in which the hero shrinks down to the size of an atom and fights villains while jumping from air molecule to air molecule. In one scene, the hero's molecule is about to crash head-on into the molecule on which a villain is riding. The villain's molecule is initially 50 molecular radii away and, in the movie, it takes 3.5 s for the molecules to collide. Estimate the air temperature required for this to be possible. Assume the molecules are nitrogen molecules, each traveling at the rms speed. Is this a plausible temperature for air?
223
views