The ideal gas equation is a mathematical relationship that connects the pressure, volume, temperature, and number of moles of a gas.
In simple terms:
- Pressure (P) – how hard the gas pushes on the container walls
- Volume (V) – space occupied by the gas
- Temperature (T) – how hot the gas is (in Kelvin)
- Number of moles (n) – amount of gas
- Gas constant (R) – a fixed value that makes the units work
The equation shows that these quantities are related, and it is used to calculate one if the others are known.
Simple explanation: The ideal gas equation tells us how gases behave under different conditions, assuming the gas is ideal.