We know from Chapter 18 that the average kinetic energy of an ideal gas atom or molecule at Kelvin temperature T is 3/2kT. For what value of T does this energy correspond to?
(a) The bond energy of the van der Waals bond in He2, (7.9 x 10-4eV) and
(b) The bond energy of the covalent bond in H2 (4.48eV)?
(c) The kinetic energy in a collision between molecules can go into dissociating one or both molecules, provided the kinetic energy is higher than the bond energy. At room temperature (300 K), is it likely that He, molecules will remain intact after a collision? What about H2 molecules? Explain.