The energy of a gram molecule of an ideal gas can be calculated from the kinetic theory. From this, by the application of the Maxwell-Boltzmann hypothesis, the molecular specific heats at constant volume, S
v
, of ideal monatomic and diatomic gases are deduced to be 3R /2 and 5R/2 respectively at all temperatures. R is the gas constant per gram molecule = 1⋅985 gm. cal./° C. The corresponding molecular specific heats at constant pressure, S
p
, can be obtained by the addition of R. In the case of real gases, which obey some form of characteristic equation other than P. V = R. T, it can be shown from thermodynamical considerations that the value of S
p
depends upon the pressure, but as the term involving the pressure also includes the temperature, S
p
is not independent of the temperature but it increases in value as the temperature is reduced. Assuming the characteristic equation proposed by Callendar,
i. e.
,
v - b
= RT/
p - c
(where
b
is the co-volume,
c
is the coaggregation volume which is a function of the temperature of the form
c
=
c
0
(T
0
/T)
n
,
n
being dependent on the nature of the gas), it is easy to show from the relation (∂S
p
/∂
р
)
T
= -T(∂
2
ν
/∂Τ
2
)
р
, hat S
p
= S
p
0
+
n (n + 1) cp
/T; and, by combining this with S
p
– S
v
= T(∂
p
/∂Τ)
v
(∂
v
/∂Τ)
p
= R(1 +
ncp
/RT)
2
, the corresponding values of S
v
can be obtained.