The molecules of an ideal gas possesses

Options

A. kinetic and potential energy
B. only kinetic energy
C. only potential energy
D. only gravitational potential energy

Answer

To solve the question regarding what the molecules of an ideal gas possess, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Characteristics of Ideal Gas
- An ideal gas is a theoretical gas composed of many particles that are in constant random motion. The behavior of these particles is described by the kinetic theory of gases.

### Step 2: Identify the Types of Energy in Molecules
- Molecules can possess different types of energy, including kinetic energy (due to motion) and potential energy (due to position or configuration).

### Step 3: Analyze the Kinetic Theory of Gases
- According to the kinetic theory of gases, the molecules of an ideal gas are considered to be point particles that do not exert forces on each other except during elastic collisions. This means that:
- There are no intermolecular forces acting between the molecules.
- The distance between molecules is large compared to their size.

### Step 4: Consider the Role of Potential Energy
- Since there are no significant intermolecular forces, the potential energy associated with the interactions between the molecules is negligible.
- Additionally, the effects of gravity are also ignored for ideal gases due to the high velocities and small sizes of the molecules.

### Step 5: Conclude the Energy Composition
- The total internal energy of an ideal gas is primarily due to the kinetic energy of its molecules. Therefore, the molecules of an ideal gas possess only kinetic energy.

### Final Answer
The molecules of an ideal gas possess **only kinetic energy**.

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