The average translational kinetic energy of \( O_2 \) (molar mass 32) molecules at a particular temperature is 0.048 eV. The translational kinetic energy of \( N_2 \) (molar mass 28) molecules in eV at the same temperature is:
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The average kinetic energy per molecule depends only on temperature and is independent of the molecular mass.
Step 1: Kinetic energy for ideal gases.
The average kinetic energy of a molecule in an ideal gas is given by:
\[
E_k = \frac{3}{2} k_B T
\]
where \( k_B \) is the Boltzmann constant and \( T \) is the temperature. Since both gases are at the same temperature, the average kinetic energy per molecule will be the same for both gases. Hence, the correct answer is (3).