Abstract: The mean molecular velocity or molecular weight of an unknown gas is determined by admitting the gas at a constant flow rate into an evacuated chamber of known volume, the gas being permitted to escape through a first flow cross section in a Knudsen flow. After a first steady state is reached, the gas density is measured and then a second flow cross section is opened between the evacuated chamber and a low-pressure zone. The measurement is repeated and the difference between the two values obtained and the gradient of the measurement is used to calculate the mean molecular velocity and the molecular weight.