What is Boltzmann Constant?

Boltzmann Constant is a fundamental physical constant that relates the average kinetic energy of particles in a gas with the temperature of the gas. It is named after the Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann, who made significant contributions to the field of statistical mechanics.

In simple terms, Boltzmann Constant can be defined as the ratio of the other two constants, these constants being the gas constant and the Avogadro Number.

Read More about Stephen-Boltzmann Law

Boltzmann Constant Formula

Boltzmann constant (k) is defined as the ratio of gas constant (R) to Avogadro’s number (N_A) and mathematically can be written as:

k = R/N_A

Where,

• k is the Boltzmann constant.
• R is the gas constant, which is the product of the Boltzmann constant and Avogadro’s number.
• N_A is Avogadro’s number, the number of atoms, ions, or molecules in one mole of a substance. [N_A = 6.022×10²³mol⁻¹]

Unit Of Boltzmann Constant

The unit of the Boltzmann constant (k) depends on the units used for other thermodynamic quantities in the formula. The most common unit for the Boltzmann constant is joules per kelvin (J/K).

Other than J/K, eV/K, and m²Kg.s^-2/K are also other units of Boltzmann Constant.

Note: Value of Boltzmann constant is 8.6173303 × 10^-5 eV/K or 1.380649 × 10^-12J/K.

Dimensional Formula of the Boltzmann constant is [M¹L²T^-2K^-1]. As we know, a dimensional formula is a way of representing a physical quantity in terms of its dimensions.

Boltzmann constant is a physical constant of great significance in physics, especially when discussing the Kinetic Theory of gases. Now let’s learn about the Boltzmann constant and its dimensional formula.