What is the ideal gas law equation?

The ideal gas law equation is represented as PV = nRT. This equation describes the relationship between the pressure (P), volume (V), number of moles (n), the ideal gas constant (R), and the temperature (T) of an ideal gas.

In this equation:

• P is the pressure of the gas, typically measured in atmospheres (atm) or pascals (Pa).

• V is the volume of the gas, usually expressed in liters (L) or cubic meters (m³).

• n is the number of moles of gas, which is a measure of the quantity of gas present.

• R is the ideal gas constant, which has a value of approximately 0.0821 L·atm/(K·mol) when using liters and atmospheres, or 8.314 J/(K·mol) when used in SI units.

• T is the absolute temperature of the gas measured in Kelvin (K).

Each component of the equation plays a critical role in illustrating how changing one variable affects the others, making it a fundamental equation in understanding the behavior of gases under different conditions. The relationship it describes is essential for solving various problems in thermodynamics and physical chemistry.