The Maxwell Distribution

Not all the atoms in a gas move at the same speed, but rather each atom takes on a speed lying in a specific range. For an ideal gas at equilibrium, this range is known as the Maxwell distribution. In 1860, Maxwell needed merely a single page to derive this amazing result, which also allowed him to calculate other important properties of a gas that matched with experimental observation.

Heat is Energy

Heat was the biggest stumbling block to a complete understanding of energy, remaining separate from it until around 1850 when the first law of thermodynamics was inducted.

Confusion About Energy

An understanding of energy in its entirety did not occur until well into the nineteenth century.

Particles in Motion

That the properties of gases could be explained by particles in motion had been advocated in 1738 by Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782), who proposed a model that is very similar to the one in acceptance today.

The First “Atomic Theories”

The first “atomic theories” focused on a “primary element” responsible for creating all other matter. Heraclitus said it was fire, Thales of Miletus (c.624 BC–c.546 BC) said it was water, Anaximenes (c.585 BC–c.528 BC) thought it was air, and Empedocles finally unified these declaring there to be the four elements of air, earth, fire and water. Later Aristotle adopted Empedocles’ four elements and so it remained up until about the 17th century.

Particle, Corpuscle, Element and Atom

Through the 18th century the words particle, corpuscle, element and atom were all used synonymously to refer to the building blocks of matter. In fact, no more insight into what an atom was had been accomplished since (the Greek philosopher) Democritus’ description some two thousand years prior.

Collisions in a Gas

The particles (atoms, molecules) of a gas move farther and faster (in a given interval of time) than those of a liquid. As they do so, a single particle undergoes about a billion collisions every second with other particles.

Waves and Diffraction

A lower pitch sound, that is a sound wave with a longer wavelength (lower frequency), will diffract (or bend) around an object more than a higher pitch sound (a sound wave with a shorter wavelength and higher frequency). This means a lower pitch sound is more easily heard around an object that may be in front of the source of the sound than a higher pitch sound

Einstein’s Light Quanta Hypothesis Explains Physical Phenomenon

In his1905 paper, On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light, Einstein showed how his newly introduced light quanta hypothesis could be used to interpret several well-known experimental observations, the most notable of these phenomena being the photoelectric effect.

Share
Share