5.

2 The speed distribution 47

This velocity distribution function is sketched in Fig. 5.2. To normal-
ize this function, so that

g(v
x
) dv
x
= 1, we need to evaluate the
integral
2 2
The integral may be evaluated using
eqn C.3.

e
mv
2
x
/2k
B
T
dv
x
=

m/2k
B
T
=

2k
B
T
m
, (5.3)
so that
g(v
x
) =

m
2k
B
T
e
mv
2
x
/2k
B
T
. (5.4)
It is then possible to nd the following expected values of this distribu-
Fig. 5.2 g(v
x
), the distribution func-
tion for a particular component of
molecular velocity (which is a Gaussian
distribution).
tion (using the integrals in Appendix C.2):
v
x
=

v
x
g(v
x
) dv
x
= 0, (5.5)
|v
x
| = 2

0
v
x
g(v
x
) dv
x
=

2k
B
T
m
, (5.6)
v
2
x
=

v
2
x
g(v
x
) dv
x
=
k
B
T
m
. (5.7)
Of course, it does not matter which component of the velocity was ini-
tially chosen. Identical results would have been obtained for v
y
and v
z
.
Hence the fraction of molecules with velocities between (v
x
, v
y
, v
z
) and
(v
x
+ dv
x
, v
y
+ dv
y
, v
z
+ dv
z
) is given by
g(v
x
)dv
x
g(v
y
)dv
y
g(v
z
)dv
z
e
mv
2
x
/2k
B
T
dv
x
e
mv
2
y
/2k
B
T
dv
y
e
mv
2
z
/2k
B
T
dv
z
= e
mv
2
/2k
B
T
dv
x
dv
y
dv
z
. (5.8)
Fig. 5.3 Molecules with speeds be-
tween v and v + dv occupy a volume
of velocity space inside a spherical shell
of radius v and thickness dv. (An oc-
tant of this sphere is shown cut-away.)
5.2 The speed distribution
We now wish to turn to the problem of working out the distribution of
molecular speeds in a gas. We want the fraction of molecules which are
travelling with speeds between v = |v| and v +dv, and this corresponds
to a spherical shell in velocity space of radius v and thickness dv (see
Fig. 5.3). The volume of velocity space corresponding to speeds between
v and v + dv is therefore equal to
4v
2
dv, (5.9)
so that the fraction of molecules with speeds between v and v + dv can
be dened as f(v) dv, where f(v) is given by
f(v) dv v
2
dv e
mv
2
/2k
B
T
. (5.10)
In this expression the 4 factor has been absorbed in the proportionality
sign.
48 The MaxwellBoltzmann distribution
To normalize
3
this function, so that

0
f(v) dv = 1, we must evaluate
3
We integrate between 0 and , not
between and , because the speed
v = |v| is a positive quantity.
the integral (using eqn C.3)

0
v
2
e
mv
2
/2k
B
T
dv =
1
4

(m/2k
B
T)
3
, (5.11)
so that
f(v) dv =
4

m
2k
B
T

3/2
v
2
dv e
mv
2
/2k
B
T
. (5.12)
This speed distribution function is known as the MaxwellBoltzmann
speed distribution, or sometimes simply as a Maxwellian distribu-
tion and is plotted in Fig. 5.4.
Having derived the MaxwellBoltzmann distribution function in eqn 5.10,
we are now in a position to derive some of its properties.
f
Fig. 5.4 f(v), the distribution func-
tion for molecular speeds (Maxwell
Boltzmann distribution).
5.2.1 v and v
2

It is straightforward to nd the following expected values of the Maxwell

Boltzmann distribution:
v =

0
vf(v) dv =

8k
B
T
m
, (5.13)
v
2
=

0
v
2
f(v) dv =
3k
B
T
m
. (5.14)
Note that using eqns 5.7 and 5.14 we can write
v
2
x
+ v
2
y
+ v
2
z
=
k
B
T
m
+
k
B
T
m
+
k
B
T
m
=
3k
B
T
m
= v
2
(5.15)
as expected.
Note also that the root mean squared speed of a molecule
v
rms
=

v
2
=

3k
B
T
m
(5.16)
is proportional to m
1/2
.
5.2.2 The mean kinetic energy of a gas molecule
The mean kinetic energy of a gas molecule is given by
E
KE
=
1
2
mv
2
=
3
2
k
B
T. (5.17)
This is an important result, and we will later derive it again by a dierent
route (see section 19.2.1). It demonstrates that the average energy of a
molecule in a gas depends only on temperature.