🧊 Compressibility Factor Calculator
Calculate the compressibility factor (Z), which shows how much a real gas deviates from ideal gas behavior under given conditions.
atm
L
K
mol
What the compressibility factor shows
The compressibility factor Z measures how much a real gas’s behavior deviates from an ideal gas under given pressure, volume, and temperature conditions. For an ideal gas, Z always equals 1.
The formula
Z = PV / (nRT), where P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles, R is the universal gas constant (0.0820574 L·atm/(mol·K)), and T is absolute temperature in kelvin. A Z value above 1 suggests repulsive intermolecular forces dominate (often at high pressure); a value below 1 suggests attractive forces dominate.
This calculator is for general chemistry and physics education and reference.
Last reviewed August 2026