The Ideal Gas Equation For Moles

If you are just looking for the equation, it is: pV=nRT.

Quick Recap:

Ideal gasses are theoretical gasses which follow the following three laws:

  • Boyle’s Law: pV = constant
  • Charles’ Law: VT=constant
  • The Pressure Law: pT=constant

These can all be combined into the equation:

pVT = constant

…Applying This:

If you use this equation, subbing in the value for one mole of an ideal gas at a room temperature and atmospheric pressure (so as if we have taken 1 mole of Oxygen from the room in which you are most likely sat in) we get a constant which we call the Molar Gas Constant.

The Molar Gas Constant has a value of:

8.31 JK1mol1

Notice that the units show this is for one mole. Therefore, to adapt this constant so that it can be used when there is a sample of more than one mole, we must times the Molar Gas Constant, R, by the number of moles, n.

Therefore,

pVT=nR

Rearranging gives the more widely used format of:

pV=nRT

Where,

p - pressure of / exerted by the gas

V - volume occupied by the gas

n - number of moles of gas in sample

R - Molar Gas Constant (8.31 JK1mol1)

T - Absolute temperature of the gas

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