Molecular Speed Distribution
Pick a real gas and sweep its temperature, and watch the curve of how many molecules move at each speed shift, broaden, and flatten — track the shaded fraction moving faster than a chosen speed threshold as the temperature climbs.
Requires Orbit
What you can adjust
- Gas
- 0 – 4
- Starting temperature
- 100 – 1500 K
- Ending temperature
- 100 – 1500 K
- Speed threshold
- 0 – 4000 m/s
A heavier gas's molecules move slower on average at the same temperature — its curve peaks further left.
The temperature the curve starts at (300K is roughly room temperature).
The temperature the curve sweeps to over the animation. Higher than the starting temperature flattens and broadens the curve and shifts its peak right; lower does the opposite.
A minimum speed marked on the curve — watch the shaded fraction of molecules faster than this grow as the temperature rises.