Final answer:
The statement that air temperature indicates the average kinetic energy of atmospheric molecules is true. Temperature reflects the average translational kinetic energy of molecules, and this relationship is consistent regardless of molecular type, depending only on absolute temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that air temperature is an indication of the average kinetic energy of individual molecules within the atmosphere is true. Temperature of gases is directly proportional to the average translational kinetic energy of the molecules that compose the gas. This measure of energy is independent of the type of molecules and solely dependent on the absolute temperature of the system.
At the state known as absolute zero, all molecular motion halts, indicating no kinetic energy. The root mean square (rms) velocity of a molecule, such as nitrogen in air, is an example of this kinetic motion. Despite these rapid molecular speeds, there is no net macroscopic movement because molecules move in all directions at random. However, higher temperatures indicate greater rms speeds and, consequently, influence macroscopic phenomena like the speed of sound, which increases with temperature and is even higher in lighter gases like helium.