Rates of Diffusion

The temperature of a gas is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the gas particles. The kinetic energy of any object depends on the mass of the object and its velocity. Imagine two vehicles—a large truck and a compact car—traveling down the highway at the same time. In order for these vehicles to have the same kinetic energy, the compact car must travel much faster than the large truck. The same analogy will be used in this demonstration to compare the motion of gas particles in different gases at the same temperature.