In the context of gas laws, what does the variable 'n' represent?

In the context of gas laws, 'n' represents the number of moles of gas present in a system. The concept of moles is fundamental in chemistry as it provides a way to quantify the amount of substance.

When applying the ideal gas law, which is expressed as PV = nRT, each variable plays a crucial role. Here, P stands for pressure, V for volume, R for the ideal gas constant, and T for temperature. In this equation, 'n' specifically indicates the number of moles, which allows for the relationship between pressure, volume, and temperature of a gas to be analyzed in terms of the quantity of gas involved. Understanding this relationship is essential for making calculations and predictions about gas behavior under various conditions.

In terms of other variables described, liters are a measure of volume, cubic centimeters are also a measure of volume but in a different unit, and pressure is expressed in units such as atm. Thus, these do not correspond to the role that 'n' plays in the gas laws.