At what temperature will the RMS speed of oxygen molecules become just sufficient for escaping from the Earth's atmosphere? (Given : Mass of oxygen molecule (m) = 2.76 × 10–26 kg Boltzmann's constant kB = 1.38 × 10–23 JK–1)
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
\(V_{escape} = 11200 m/s\)
Let T be the temperature at which it attains velocity \(V_{escape}\)
\(\sqrt{\frac{3 k_B T}{m_{O_{2}}}}\) = 11200 m/s
T = 8.360 x 104 K