Ideal Gas
Hard-sphere or particle-in-a-box style model linking microscopic motion to macroscopic variables. Relates kinetic picture to ideal gas law PV = nRT in teaching terms.
Who it's for: Statistical mechanics and thermal physics introductions.
Key terms
- ideal gas
- pressure
- temperature
- kinetic theory
- PV = nRT
How it works
Hard disks in a 2D box with elastic wall bounces and pairwise collisions. Temperature is identified with mean kinetic energy per particle (k = 1 in model units). For a dilute 2D ideal gas, pressure should track P ≈ NkT/A where A is the area — compare the smoothed wall impulse estimate to NkT/A. Increasing N or T at fixed volume raises pressure; expanding the box lowers it — a qualitative PV ∝ NT demo.
Key equations
Frequently asked questions
- What assumptions define an ideal gas?
- Point-like particles, elastic collisions, no long-range forces, and large mean free path so only kinetic energy matters for internal energy in the simplest model.
More from Thermodynamics
Other simulators in this category — or see all 18.
Gas Laws Interactive
Boyle's, Charles's, Gay-Lussac's laws with interactive piston.
Heat Transfer
Conduction, convection, and radiation with temperature gradients.
Phase Diagram
Temperature-pressure diagram with phase transitions.
Carnot Engine
PV diagram animation with cycle steps and efficiency.
Maxwell–Boltzmann Distribution
Histogram of |v| from Gaussian components vs the 3D Maxwell speed PDF; T and sample size.
Thermal Expansion
Linear ΔL = α L₀ ΔT; compare reference bar and heated/cooled length (schematic).