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a cylinder of nitrogen and a cylinder of neon are at the same temperature and pressure. the mean free path of a nitrogen molecule is 130 nm What is the mean free path of a neon atom?

User Vtsamis
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Final answer:

The mean free path of a nitrogen molecule is 130 nm. To calculate the mean free path of a neon atom, we can use the formula
mean free path = (1 / (sqrt(2) * π * d² * N / V)), number of molecules, and V is the volume. Substituting the values for nitrogen, we find that the mean free path of a neon atom is approximately 98.5 nm.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mean free path of a molecule is calculated using the formula:


mean free path = (1 / (sqrt(2) * π * d² * N / V))

where d is the diameter of the molecule, N is the number of molecules, and V is the volume.

Given that the mean free path of a nitrogen molecule is 130 nm, we can calculate the mean free path of a neon atom by substituting the values for nitrogen into the formula and solving for the mean free path of neon.

Using the formula, we find that the mean free path of a neon atom is approximately 98.5 nm.

User Elanna
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Final answer:

The mean free path of a nitrogen molecule is given, but to determine the mean free path of a neon atom, we need additional information.

Step-by-step explanation:

The mean free path of a gas molecule is the average distance it travels between collisions with other molecules. It is proportional to the temperature and inversely proportional to the molar density and the cross-sectional area of the molecules.

In the given question, the mean free path of a nitrogen molecule is given as 130 nm. Since nitrogen and neon have different molecular sizes, we cannot directly determine the mean free path of neon from the given information.

However, we can make an assumption that the molecular sizes of nitrogen and neon are similar, which means their cross-sectional areas are similar. In that case, if the temperature and pressure are the same for both gases, we can assume that the mean free path of neon would be similar to that of nitrogen.

Please note that this assumption is not completely accurate because the molecular sizes of nitrogen and neon are different. To obtain a more accurate value for the mean free path of neon, we would need information about the molecular size or cross-sectional area of neon.

User Hsluoyz
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