What does the 'n' represent in the ideal gas law equation?

In the ideal gas law equation, represented as PV = nRT, the variable 'n' specifically denotes the number of moles of gas present in the system. This is an important concept as the amount of gas in moles provides a measure of how many particles are involved in the reaction or gas behavior being studied.

The ideal gas law relates pressure (P), volume (V), temperature (T), and the amount of substance (n) through the gas constant (R). By using the number of moles, you can calculate how these factors change together under varying conditions. This relationship is fundamental in understanding gas behavior and performing calculations related to gas reactions in chemistry.

The other concepts, while related to the properties of gases, do not directly represent 'n' in the ideal gas law: liters measure volume, particles would refer to the individual molecules or atoms in the gas, and atoms refer to the smallest units of elements in a substance. Thus, 'n' is correctly defined as the number of moles.