(Redirected from Molar gas constant)| Values of ''R'' | Units |
|---|
| 8.314472 | J · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 0.0820578437 | L · atm · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 8.20574587 x 10-5 | m3· atm · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 8.314472 | cm3 · MPa · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 8.314472 | L · kPa · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 8.314472 | m3 · Pa · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 62.3637 | L · mmHg · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 62.3637 | L · Torr · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 83.14472 | L · mbar · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 1.987 | cal · K-1 · mol-1 |
| 6.132439833 | lbf · ft · K-1 · g · mol-1 |
| 10.7316 | ft3· psi · °R-1 · lb-mol-1 |
| 8.63 x 10-5 | eV · K-1 · atom-1 |
| 0.7302 | ft3·atm·°R-1·lb-mole-1 |
The 'gas constant' (also known as the 'universal' or 'ideal gas constant', usually denoted by symbol '''R''') is a
physical constant used in
equations of state to relate various groups of
state functions to one another. It is another name for the
Boltzmann constant, but when used in the
ideal gas law it is usually expressed in the more convenient units of
energy per
kelvin per
mole rather than simply energy per kelvin per particle.
The ideal gas constant occurs in the simplest equation of state, the
ideal gas law, as follows:
:
where ''P'' is the
pressure of an
ideal gas
''T'' is its
temperature
is its
molar volume
This can also be written as:
:
where ''V'' is the volume the gas occupies
''n'' is the moles of gas
''R'' appears in the
Nernst equation as well as in the
Lorentz-Lorenz formula.
Its value is:
:'''R'' = 8.314472(15) J · K
-1 · mol
-1'
The two digits between the
parentheses denote the uncertainty (
standard deviation) in the last two digits of the value.
Boltzmann constant
The
Boltzmann constant ''k
B'' (often abbreviated ''k'') may be used in place of the other forms of the ideal gas constant by working in pure particle count rather than number of moles of gas; this simply requires carrying a factor of
Avogadro's number. Writing:
:
One can then express the ideal gas law in direct terms of Boltzmann's constant:
:
with ''N'' = ''nN''
A is the actual number of molecules
Specific gas constant
The 'specific gas constant' of a gas or a mixture of gases (
) is given by the universal gas constant, divided by the
molar mass (
) of the gas/mixture.
:
It is common to represent the specific gas constant by the symbol
. In such cases the context and/or units of
should make it clear as to which gas constant is being referred to. For example, the equation for the
speed of sound, is usually written in terms of the specific gas constant.
The specific gas constant of dry
air is
:
US Standard Atmosphere
The
US Standard Atmosphere, 1976 (USSA1976) defines the Universal Gas Constant (R) as:
[1][2]
:
The USSA1976 does recognize, however, that this value is not consistent with the cited values for the Avogadro constant and the Boltzmann constant.
Still, the USSA1976 uses this value of R for all the calculations of the standard atmosphere. This disparity is not a significant departure from accuracy. When using the
ISO value of R, the calculated pressure increases by only 0.62 pascals at 11,000 meters (the equivalent of a difference of only 0.174 meters – or 6.8 inches) and an increase of 0.292 pascals at 20,000 meters (the equivalent of a difference of only 0.338 meters – or 13.2 inches).
See also
★
Boltzmann constant
References
1. Standard Atmospheres
2. U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1976 (Linked file is 17 MiB).
External links
★
Gas Constant CODATA Value at
NIST
★
Boltzmann Constant CODATA Value at
NIST