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Glite Dictionary
kinetic theory of gases

kinetic theory of gases

4.6
An idea that explains gases as made of tiny particles moving in all directions
  • noun
  • /kɪˈnɛtɪk ˈθɪəri əv ˈɡæsɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : teoría cinética de los gases
  • In chemistry, the kinetic theory of gases helps us understand gas laws and their relation to particle motion.

Examples

  • The kinetic theory of gases explains how gas particles move randomly and collide with each other.

  • Integro-differential equations with nonlocal terms of convolution type occur in various applications, such as mechanics of heterogeneous media, theory of viscoelasticity, thermal physics, kinetic theory of gases, etc.

    Academic text (2018)

  • According to the kinetic theory of gases, temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the gas particles.

Synonyms

kinetic theory
vskinetic theory of gases
  • Specialized
6.3

An idea in physics that gases are made of tiny moving particles that cause pressure and temperature

is the same model but uses the longer, more specific wording

Surface Forms

kinetic theory of gases singular
kinetic theories of gases plural

Morphology

kinetic + theory + of + gas

The phrase is fully compositional: 'kinetic' (about motion) + 'theory' (an explanatory framework) + 'gases' clearly yields an explanation about the motion of gases. This technical term is predictable from its parts and has direct equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer its basic meaning.

Etymology

Kinetic theory of gases comes from the word kinetic, which means 'movement', and from the simple picture of tiny particles always moving and hitting each other and the walls of a box. So it is a 'theory' that explains how gases behave by those constant motions.