The gas constant is a physical constant denoted by R and is expressed in terms of units of energy per temperature increment per mole. It is also known as Ideal gas constant or molar gas constant or universal gas constant. The gas constant value is equivalent to Boltzmann constant but expressed as the pressure-volume product instead of energy per increment of temperature per particle.
Gas Constant Value
In physics, the gas constant is proportionality constant used to relate the energy scale to the temperature scale, when one mole of particles at a defined temperature is considered. The ideal gas constant is the combination of Boyle’s law, Avogadro’s number, Charles’s law and Gay-Lussac’s law. Thus, gas constant R value can be given as –
Gas constant R = 8.3144598(48) J⋅mol−1⋅K−1
The digits inside the parentheses are the uncertainty in the measurement of gas constant value.
Gas Constant In Different Units
The gas constant is inversely used in diverse disciplines. Hence, it is expressed in many units. Some gas constant value in different units are listed below-
| Gas Constant Value | Units |
| 8.3144598(48) | J⋅K−1⋅mol−1 |
| 8.3144598(48)×103 | amu.m2.s-2.K-1 |
| 8.3144598(48)×10−2 | L.bar.K-1.mol-1 |
| 8.3144598(48) | m3.Pa.K-1.mol-1 |
| 62.363577(36) | L.Torr.K-1.mol-1 |
| 1.9872036(11)×10−3 | kcal.K-1.mol-1 |
| 8.2057338(47)×10−5 | m3.atm.K-1.mol-1 |
| 0.082057338(47) | L.atm.K-1.mol-1 |
R Constant For Atm
The US Standard Atmosphere the R constant for atom is given as
R = 8.31432×103 N⋅m⋅kmol−1⋅K−1.
Specific Gas Constant
The ratio of molar gas constant(R) to the molar mass(M) of the gas mixture is called The specific gas constant. Denoted by Rspecific Mathematically expressed as –
R s p e c i f i c = R / M
Dimensions
Using the ideal gas equation PV = n RT. The gas constant R can be expressed as-
R = P V /n T
Where,
- P is the pressure.
- V is the volume,
- n is the number of moles of the given substance
- T is the temperature.
Thus, writing pressure as force per unit area we can derive the dimensional expression for R as-
R = ( f o r c e /a r e a ) × v o l u m e /a m o u n t × t e m p e r a t u r e
Area and Volume can be expressed in terms of length as volume=(length)3 and area = (length)2
Thus we get-
R = ( f o r c e/ l e n g t h 2 ) × ( l e n g t h ) 3 a m o u n t × t e m p e r a t u r e = f o r c e × l e n g t h a m o u n t × t e m p e r a t u r e
Since force times length is work we get-
R = w o r k a m o u n t × t e m p e r a t u r e
Thus gas constant can be interpreted as work per degree per mole.
Hope you have understood what is gas constant. the gas constant value in different units along with the ideal gas formula and Application in physics.