Translational kinetic energy is the kinetic energy of an object of finite size. It is equal to one half the product of the mass of the object and the square of the velocity. For an ideal gas, it is simplified into the expression:
Kinetic energy = 3nRT / 2 where n is the number of moles, R is the universal gas constant and T is the temperature of the gas.
We calculate as follows:
Kinetic energy = 3nRT / 2
Kinetic energy = 3 (0.020 moles ) (8.314 J / mol-K) (290 K) / 2
Kinetic energy = 72.33 J
Therefore, the translational kinetic energy of the ideal nitrogen gas is 72.33 J.
