For the same ideal gas, average translational kinetic energy is proportional to absolute temperature in kelvin. Typical speed scales with the square root of that temperature. The animated dots use this qualitative relationship with a range of relative speeds. Temperature is not the total energy of a sample; the number and kind of particles matter too.
Matter and chemistry · Discover & try
What changes when particles are heated?
Reading level 4 of 5 · FluentChange
Word help
temperature
A measure related to particles’ average kinetic energy.
heat
Energy transfer caused by a temperature difference.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
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Idealised fixed-volume gas; motion is slowed and no actual heating experiment is required.
What to look for
- Count stays fixed
- A range of speeds remains
- Cooling reduces average motion
Explain what you noticed
A sealed sample is cooled without losing material. Which change fits this model?
Keep this idea: Compare average motion without inventing extra particles.
Follow the sources
- American Chemical Society — Molecules in Motion
- American Chemical Society — Heat, Temperature, and Conduction
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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