Submitted by TetheredArrow0712 t3_10uw1pu in askscience
My thought is that gas isn't very thermally conductive due to the extra space between particles compared to liquids and solids. So, if you squished a bunch of particles in a small area the distance would increase, would this also increase thermal conductivity?
Thanks!
agate_ t1_j7f6jdb wrote
Not by much. Thermal conductivity in gases happens by molecules gaining thermal energy and moving to a colder place. Adding more molecules gives you more energy carriers, but they can’t move as far before bumping in to each other. So the thermal conductivity of most gases increases only slightly with pressure.
If you get near the boiling point, or the pressure is so low the molecules fly the length of your chamber without bumping into anything, the situation is different.
https://www.electronics-cooling.com/1998/09/the-thermal-conductivity-of-gases/
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/amp/air-properties-viscosity-conductivity-heat-capacity-d_1509.html
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/amp/methane-thermal-conductivity-temperature-pressure-d_2021.html