What defines an ideal gas in chemistry?

An ideal gas is characterized by its adherence to the ideal gas law, which states that the pressure, volume, and temperature of a gas are related in a predictable way (PV = nRT). For a gas to be considered ideal, it must behave in accordance with this law under all conditions of temperature and pressure, facilitating calculations and predictions about its behavior in a variety of scenarios.

Real gases deviate from ideal behavior under high pressure or low temperature due to factors such as intermolecular forces and the volume occupied by gas molecules themselves. However, an ideal gas is conceptualized as a perfect model where these interactions and effects are negligible. Therefore, the definition of an ideal gas focuses on its ability to consistently follow the ideal gas law, ensuring it behaves predictably across a wide range of conditions.