Question

According to the Kinetic Molecular theory, why do gases have low densities?

a. The kelvin (K) temperature (aka Absolute Temperature) is a measure of the average kinetic energy - energy due to motion - of the gas particles.
b. There is a lot of empty space between the gas particles compared to the size of the particles themselves.
c. Gas particles do not attract or repel each other (no IMFs). When collisions occur, the gas particles perfectly bounce off.
d. A gas is a collection of atoms or molecules in constant, straight-line motion.

Answer 1

Gases have low densities because of the large amounts of empty space between particles, the lack of intermolecular forces, and the elastic nature of particle collisions, as explained by the Kinetic Molecular Theory.

Step-by-step explanation:

Why Do Gases Have Low Densities?

According to the Kinetic Molecular Theory, gases have low densities primarily because of the vast empty space between the gas particles. This theory postulates several key points to explain this phenomenon:

Gases consist of large numbers of tiny particles that are far apart from one another relative to their size, which means that the actual volume of the particles is negligible compared to the volume of empty space.

The particles are in constant, random motion, and their collisions with other particles or the walls of their container are completely elastic, meaning no kinetic energy is lost during these collisions.

There are no forces of attraction or repulsion between the particles, so their motion is not influenced by each other, which also contributes to the low density of gases.

Additionally, the average kinetic energy of gas particles is directly proportional to the temperature of the gas, but this factor does not directly explain the low density.