Summary Every degree of freedom of an ideal gas contributes 12kBT per atom or molecule to its changes in internal energy. Every degree of freedom contributes 12R to its mol...Summary Every degree of freedom of an ideal gas contributes 12kBT per atom or molecule to its changes in internal energy. Every degree of freedom contributes 12R to its molar heat capacity at constant volume CV and do not contribute if the temperature is too low to excite the minimum energy dictated by quantum mechanics. Therefore, at ordinary temperatures d=3 for monatomic gases, d=5 for diatomic gases, and d≈6 for polyatomic gases.
Summary Every degree of freedom of an ideal gas contributes 12kBT per atom or molecule to its changes in internal energy. Every degree of freedom contributes 12R to its mol...Summary Every degree of freedom of an ideal gas contributes 12kBT per atom or molecule to its changes in internal energy. Every degree of freedom contributes 12R to its molar heat capacity at constant volume CV and do not contribute if the temperature is too low to excite the minimum energy dictated by quantum mechanics. Therefore, at ordinary temperatures d=3 for monatomic gases, d=5 for diatomic gases, and d≈6 for polyatomic gases.
