Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution Visualization
Try this
Raise the temperature or lower the particle mass, then compare where the curve peaks.
Notice: a warmer gas has a broader speed distribution, so more molecules occupy faster speeds. Temperatures are in K; mass is in atomic mass units (u).
About the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution
The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution describes the distribution of speeds of molecules in a gas that is in thermal equilibrium. It was formulated by James Clerk Maxwell and Ludwig Boltzmann in the 19th century and is a key concept in the kinetic theory of gases.
The distribution gives the probability of finding a molecule with a particular speed at a certain temperature, considering that molecules in a gas are constantly moving and colliding with each other and with the walls of their container.
Where:
- f(v) is the probability density function for velocity v
- m is the mass of the molecule
- k is the Boltzmann constant (1.380649 × 10-23 J/K)
- T is the absolute temperature in Kelvin
- v is the velocity of the molecule