Speed
distribution
The height of each bar in this distribution graph shows the number of gas
molecules with a particular range of speeds in this 2D simulation. As the
molecules collide with each other the exact distribution of speeds changes.
Activate the "Accumulate" checkbox to build up an average picture of the
speed distribution over a long period of time - you'd see a similar smooth
moment-to-moment distribution if there were enough molecules in our
simulation.
How is the speed distribution affected by the temperature of the gas?
(Press "Clear graphs" or temporally switch off "Accumulate" after changing
the gas temperature, else the graph could take a very long time to show the
new distribution.)
Notes:
The green line indicates the average molecular speed, and a yellow bar on
the right pops up to show the number of molecules with greater speeds than
fit on the graph (when there are any).
links:
Speed
distribution curves