sqrt8kT

Sqrt(8kT) denotes the square root of eight times the Boltzmann constant k and the absolute temperature T. In physics, k is a fundamental constant that relates energy at the particle level to temperature, with value approximately 1.380649 × 10^-23 J/K, and T is measured in kelvin. The expression is not a standalone physical quantity by itself but appears as a component in formulas that connect thermal energy to particle speeds.

In kinetic theory and the Maxwell–Boltzmann framework for ideal gases, many speed-related quantities take the form of a ratio involving sqrt(8kT). For example, the mean speed of gas molecules is v_mean = sqrt(8kT/(πm)), where m is the molecular mass. This can be written as v_mean = sqrt(8kT)/sqrt(πm), highlighting how sqrt(8kT) acts as an energy-to-momentum scale when divided by a mass term. Other characteristic speeds, such as the root-mean-square speed v_rms = sqrt(3kT/m) and the most probable speed v_p = sqrt(2kT/m), likewise connect thermal energy kT to velocity scales through mass in the denominator.

Units and interpretation: sqrt(8kT) itself has units of sqrt(J), equivalent to sqrt(kg)·m/s. It becomes a velocity-related factor only when paired with a mass term under a square root. Consequently, sqrt(8kT) is not a physical speed, but a component used in velocity expressions derived from the kinetic theory of gases.

See also: Boltzmann constant, kinetic theory, Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution.