
The Ideal Gas Law
The equation below describes ideal gases. Real gases act differently, but act most similarly to ideal gases at high temperatures and low pressures!
PV=nRT
P is pressure measured in kPa (or maybe atm Torr, mmHg...)
V is volume measured in L or m3
n is number of moles of the gas
R is the ideal gas constant (will be either 8.314J/mol K OR 0.082 L atm/mol K)
T is temperature measured in K
We mentioned that R (the ideal gas constant) could be either 8.314J/mol K or 0.082 L atm/mol K. How do we know which value to use?
The ideal gas constant appears frequently in chemistry, for this reason, it comes in many forms depending on the context of its use and the units involved:

Example:
Suppose the variables in the ideal gas law equation had the following units:
P(kPa)×V(L)=n(mol)×R(?)×T(K)
What should R be in this case? (These terms need to combine correctly to ensure that this equation makes sense!)
R must be 8.314 J/ mol K which is the same as 8.314 kPa L/mol K

Example: Ideal Gas Law
1.1 mols of Argon are stored in a 2.0 L container kept at 10.0°C. What is the pressure of this gas? (ans. in kPa)
n = 1.1, V = 2 L, T = 10°C, P = ?
Is everything in correct units?
Need to convert T from °C to K → °C + 273 = K So 10°C + 273 = 283 K
PV = nRT
P = nRT/V
P = (1.1 moles)(8.314 kPa L/mol K)(283 K)/2 L
P = 1294 kPa = 1300 kPa (sig figs)

Example: Ideal Gas Law
a) A 4 L cylinder containing 3 moles of He(g) arrives from a chemical supply company. Given that the lab you are working in has a room temperature of 298 K, calculate the pressure inside the flask.
n=3 mol
V=4 L
T=298 K
PV=nRT
P=?
b) At what temperature will the cylinder have an internal pressure of 9 atm?
n=3 mol
V=4 L
P=9 atm
T=?
c) Your lab mate steals some of the gas from your cylinder for a reaction he is doing. He fills a 1 L bulb with 1 atm of your gas at 298 K. If the cylinder is at room temperature, what is the internal pressure of the cylinder once the gas has been removed?
Tank:
n=2.96 mol
T=298 K
V=4 L