Question

When the temperature of a substance increases, what happens to the speed of the molecules?

Answer 1

1. When we increase the temperature of a substance, its internal energy increases, resulting in the increase in kinetic energy of the molecules.
2. The particles gather kinetic energy and accelerate as the temperature rises.
3. The actual average speed of the particles is influenced by both their mass and temperature; at a given temperature, larger particles travel more slowly than lighter ones.
4. Now increase in the kinetic energy ($K.E$) of molecules increases the speed($v$) of the molecules, as $K.E=\frac{1}{2}m{v}^2$, where $m$ is the mass of each molecule.
5. When the temperature rises, the molecules are excited by the added energy, which causes them to move more quickly.