kinetic theory of gases: Meaning and Definition of

kinet'ic the'ory of gas'es

Pronunciation: [key]
— Physics. Physics.
  1. a theory that the particles in a gas move freely and rapidly along straight lines but often collide, resulting in variations in their velocity and direction. Pressure is interpreted as arising from the impacts of these particles with the walls of a container.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.