Final answer:
The kinetic energy of molecules is directly related to the absolute temperature. This relationship holds true for all states of matter and is vividly demonstrated by the behavior of gas molecules, where an increase in temperature results in increased average kinetic energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The kinetic energy of molecules of an object and its temperature are indeed related. The average kinetic energy of a molecule in a given substance is directly proportional to its absolute temperature. This concept is a fundamental principle in thermodynamics and applies to all states of matter, but it is often introduced in the context of gases.
To calculate the kinetic energy of a gas molecule at a given temperature, we use the equation KE = (3/2)kT, where KE is the average kinetic energy per molecule, k is Boltzmann's constant, and T is the absolute temperature in kelvins. Since temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules of a substance, when the temperature increases, the kinetic energy also increases, demonstrating a direct relationship between them.
Furthermore, the distribution of speeds of molecules in a gas, known as the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, shows that at any given temperature, there is a variety of speeds among the molecules, but the average speed (and thus the average kinetic energy) can be directly tied to the temperature.