Question 295468: I have one more that I don't get at all either. thx lauren
Solving for the specified variable
PV = nRT; T
Answer by PRMath(133)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! PV = nRT; T
Hi Lauren...
When you solve for any variable, always think of "undoing" whatever operation is going on, so that you can get the variable all by itself. What do I mean? Well, if you are multiplying, for example, how to you "undo" that? You can divide. In another example, if you are adding, you can "undo" the adding by subtracting. Do you get the idea?
Soooo in your equation, you have PV = nRT and you have to solve for T. SO to get "T" all by itself, ask yourself, what is going on in the equation between "T" and nR? As you can see, the variables nRT are being MULTIPLIED together. How can we "undo" multiplication? We can DIVIDE.
We can DIVIDE nR away from T, BUT if we do it on one side of the equation, we have to do it on the other so PV must be divided by nR, also.
SO.... let's just DIVIDE nR on both sides of the equation, like this:
PV = nRT (original equation)
 = Now nR is divided from both sides of the equation. Ok... can you see what I have highlighted? These highlighted terms can cancel each other out, like this:
=
Then what do you have left?
You have:
= T
That's all there is to it. Just identify what is going on with your variables, and try to "undo" whatever operation is performed, so that you can work to get your variable by itself.
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