The Maxwell Distribution of Speeds

In this applet we explore the Maxwell distribution of speeds.

From the kinetic model of gases, the Maxwell distribution of speeds, f(v), is

Where T (K) is temperature, R is the gas constant (8.31447 J K mol^-1), M is the molar mass (kg mol^-1), and v is speed (m s^-1).

To plot f(v) enter the parameters and hit New Plot. Up to 5 plots can be displayed at one time. The Clear button will remove all plots. To see the parameters for each plot hit the Legend on/off button. The Redraw button will refresh the graph. This is useful when the function domain (i.e., v ) has been changed. To see the value of each plot at a given point, move your cursor to the desired location then click and hold.

The fraction, F, of particles in a range of speeds is

The mean speed c_mean of particles is

The relative mean speed, c_rel, the mean speed with which one molecule approaches another, is

To calculate F, c_mean, and c_rel click on the Calculation tab, enter the parameters and hit the OK button.