The value of the gas constant, R, depends on the units used for pressure (P), volume (V), and temperature (T).
In the ideal gas equation, PV = nRT, the following units are commonly used:
- P: Pressure (usually in Pascals, Pa)
- V: Volume (usually in cubic meters, m³)
- T: Temperature (usually in Kelvin, K)
- n: Number of moles (unitless)
To match these units, the value of the gas constant, R, is as follows:
R = 8.314 J/(mol·K)
The units of the gas constant, R, are Joules per mole per Kelvin (J/(mol·K)). This means that for every mole of gas in a system, the gas constant represents the amount of energy in Joules (J) per degree of temperature change (Kelvin, K).
If you want to use different units for pressure, volume, or temperature, you may need to use a different value for R that matches the chosen units.