Here’s a step-by-step explanation:
The energy distribution of molecules in a gas shows how the total kinetic energy is shared among all the molecules. Temperature plays a key role in shaping this distribution.
1. At low temperatures
- Most molecules have low energy.
- Only a few molecules have high energy.
- The distribution is narrow and peaked, meaning most molecules cluster around similar, lower energies.
2. At higher temperatures
- Molecules move faster and have more kinetic energy.
- The distribution flattens and spreads out:
- More molecules have higher energies.
- There’s a wider range of energies.
- The peak of the distribution shifts to higher energy, because the average energy increases.
3. Key idea
- Higher temperature → broader and higher-energy distribution.
- Lower temperature → narrower and lower-energy distribution.
Think of it like this: at low temperature, molecules are like slow walkers, mostly moving at similar speeds. At high temperature, molecules are like a mix of slow walkers, runners, and sprinters—there’s a bigger variety of speeds and energies.