Concept:According to the Kinetic Molecular Theory (KMT) of gases, the collisions between gas molecules, as well as with the walls of the container, are perfectly elastic.
Solution:- An elastic collision is fundamentally defined in physics as a collision in which there is no net loss or gain of kinetic energy.
- When gas particles collide, they may transfer kinetic energy from one to another, but their total kinetic energy remains completely conserved.
Why other options are incorrect:- Option A: While velocities of individual molecules do change upon collision, this does not define the term "elastic".
- Option B: Mass is conserved in all types of collisions (both elastic and inelastic).
- Option D: Ideal gas molecules are assumed to have no intermolecular forces, and thus no potential energy to begin with.
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