Specific volume

In thermodynamics, the specific volume of a substance (symbol: ν, nu) is the quotient of the substance's volume (V) to its mass (m):

${\displaystyle \nu ={\frac {V}{m}}}$

It is a mass-specific intrinsic property of the substance. It is the reciprocal of density ρ (rho) and it is also related to the molar volume and molar mass:

${\displaystyle \nu =\rho ^{-1}={\frac {\tilde {V}}{M}}}$

The standard unit of specific volume is cubic meters per kilogram (m³/kg), but other units include ft³/lb, ft³/slug, or mL/g.^[1]

Specific volume for an ideal gas is related to the molar gas constant (R) and the gas's temperature (T), pressure (P), and molar mass (M):

${\displaystyle \nu ={\frac {RT}{PM}}}$

It's based on the ideal gas law, ${\displaystyle PV={nRT}}$, and the amount of substance, ${\textstyle n=m/M}$