If the air inside a rigid box is heated, the i, average speed of the molecules increases ii. pressure of the air increases iii. average separation of the mo...

If the air inside a rigid box is heated, the i, average speed of the molecules increases ii. pressure of the air increases iii. average separation of the molecule increases. Which of the statements above are correct?

Answer Details

The correct statements are i and ii only: i) When the air inside a rigid box is heated, the average speed of the molecules increases. This is because heat energy is transferred to the air molecules, causing them to move faster and increase their kinetic energy. ii) The pressure of the air inside the box increases as well. This is because as the air molecules move faster, they collide more frequently with the walls of the box, causing an increase in the force exerted by the molecules on the walls of the box, and hence an increase in pressure. iii) The average separation of the molecules does not increase. When the temperature of the air inside the box is increased, the volume of the air also increases (assuming the box is not allowed to expand). This means that the same number of molecules now occupy a larger volume, which results in a decrease in the average separation between the molecules. In summary, when the air inside a rigid box is heated, the average speed of the molecules increases, and the pressure of the air increases, while the average separation of the molecules decreases.