A simple analysis of the heat transported a static ideal gas results
in the following expression for the heat capacity:
K = n*<c>*l*c_v/3
(see <http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/thercond.html>)
where K is the thermal conductivity [J/(cm*s*deg)],
n is the density of the gas [moles/cm^3],
<c> is the average speed of the gas particles [cm/s],
l is the mean free path of the gas particles [cm], and
c_v is the specific heat capacity at constant volume [J/(mol*deg)]
Several of these quanties depend on temperature. Specifically, for an
ideal gas, the distribution of molecular speeds is given by the
Maxwell Distribution. For a given temperature, the average speed of
this distribution is given by:
<c>(T) = (8*R*T/pi*M)^1/2
(see <http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/kintem.html>
where R is the gas constant {J/(mol*deg)],
T is the absolute temperature [(deg)], and
M is the molar mass of the gas [grams/mol]
For an ideal diatomic gas, there is the well-known result that the
constant-volume heat capacity is given by:
c_v = 5/2*R
(see <http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/kinetic/shegas.html#c2>)
Plugging these expressions into the equation for K results in the
following expression for the thermal conductivity as a function of
temperature:
K(T) = 5/3 * n * l * {(2* R^2 * T)/(pi * M)}^1/2
So the thermal conductivity of a given ideal diatomic gas at constant
density (i.e., constant volume and number of gas molecules) should be
proportional to the square root of the absolute temperature. |