Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) Integrated Science (024) Practice Exam

What do kinetic molecular theory principles suggest about gas particles?

1. Their volume is significant

2. Their interactions are negligible

3. They are all identical

4. They are not affected by temperature

The correct answer is: Their interactions are negligible

The principles of kinetic molecular theory (KMT) emphasize that gas particles are in constant random motion and that they occupy a relatively large volume compared to the size of the particles themselves. One of the critical aspects of KMT is the assertion that the interactions between gas particles are negligible, especially when the gas is ideal or at low pressures. This means that gas particles do not exert significant forces on one another, and their behavior can be effectively analyzed without considering intermolecular forces. This principle is crucial for understanding gas laws and their behaviors under various conditions. In an ideal gas, the particles move freely without any substantial attraction or repulsion, facilitating their distribution throughout a given volume, which allows them to fill containers uniformly. In the context of the other options, gas particles do not have significant volume relative to the container they occupy, which makes discussing their volume as significant inaccurate. While gases can be treated as identical in behavior under certain conditions, KMT does not imply that gas particles are all identical in terms of mass or velocity; rather, they can vary. Additionally, temperature has a direct impact on the kinetic energy of gas particles, affecting their velocity and behavior, contrary to the idea that they are not affected by temperature.