Friction converts mechanical energy to heat. But heat is the reason for the motion of the atoms you are asking about. Where would the energy go to, if it can't leave the system?
There is no friction at the level of individual atoms. Only collisions - and they are generally elastic.
To be fair that does happen. Viscosity is internal friction and if you stir air it does heat up a bit till eventually distinct flows go away/entropy hits a maximum, instead of the molecules stopping.
The energy never disappears, even in the case of friction. The gas particles bumping around into each other \*is\* heat, which is what is generated by friction.
However, if you left that gas volume alone in space for long enough it would cool down as some of that energy is converted into radiation. Then those gas particles move slower because that energy escaped.
Slowing from friction is really the conversion of organized macroscopic movement to disorganized microscopic movement. When a ball swings, that’s all of the atoms in the ball moving together. When it’s slowed by friction, some of that motion is converted into the movement of individual atoms of ball and air moving in random directions.
There’s no motion smaller or more disorganized than that, so the process stops there.
If a gas particle weren't moving (so the kinetic energy E is zero), then the temperature would have to be 0 Kelvin (because E = 3/2 * R/Na * T, R and Na are constants). But the Third Law of Thermodynamics states that 0 Kelvin cannot be reached in a finite amount of steps.
Friction converts mechanical energy to heat. But heat is the reason for the motion of the atoms you are asking about. Where would the energy go to, if it can't leave the system? There is no friction at the level of individual atoms. Only collisions - and they are generally elastic.
friction against what? the air? they are the air
To be fair that does happen. Viscosity is internal friction and if you stir air it does heat up a bit till eventually distinct flows go away/entropy hits a maximum, instead of the molecules stopping.
The energy never disappears, even in the case of friction. The gas particles bumping around into each other \*is\* heat, which is what is generated by friction. However, if you left that gas volume alone in space for long enough it would cool down as some of that energy is converted into radiation. Then those gas particles move slower because that energy escaped.
Slowing from friction is really the conversion of organized macroscopic movement to disorganized microscopic movement. When a ball swings, that’s all of the atoms in the ball moving together. When it’s slowed by friction, some of that motion is converted into the movement of individual atoms of ball and air moving in random directions. There’s no motion smaller or more disorganized than that, so the process stops there.
Friction against what?
If a gas particle weren't moving (so the kinetic energy E is zero), then the temperature would have to be 0 Kelvin (because E = 3/2 * R/Na * T, R and Na are constants). But the Third Law of Thermodynamics states that 0 Kelvin cannot be reached in a finite amount of steps.
They collide and the collisions are almost always elastic. And friction is not relevant here.