ideal gas law science definition

A law that describes the relationships between measurable properties of an ideal gas. The law states that P × V = n × (R) × T, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles of molecules, T is the absolute temperature, and R is the gas constant (8.314 joules per degree Kelvin or 1.985 calories per degree Celsius). A consequence of this law is that, under constant pressure and temperature conditions, the volume of a gas depends solely on the number of moles of its molecules, not on the type of gas. Also called universal gas law. See also Boyle's law, Charles's law, van der Waals equation.