When calculating any gas law, what must you always convert?

When dealing with gas laws, it is essential to convert both pressure and temperature to absolute values for accurate calculations. Absolute pressure is measured from absolute zero rather than a relative point like atmospheric pressure, which is crucial for equations such as the Ideal Gas Law (PV = nRT) to hold true. This ensures that the mathematical relationships between the variables remain consistent and valid across different conditions.

For temperature, using the absolute scale (Kelvin) is important because many gas laws rely on the ratios of temperatures. Since gas properties can change significantly with slight temperature variations, having a uniform baseline prevents erroneous results. The Kelvin scale is utilized because it starts from absolute zero, accommodating the behavior of gases under extreme conditions.

While pressure can be expressed in various forms (such as gauge pressure or atmospheric pressure), using absolute pressure enables a clearer understanding of how gases behave in different environments. This systematic conversion is necessary for achieving reliable results in any calculations involving gas laws.