# Would setting the ideal gas constant to $1$ yield an attractive natural temperature scale? [closed]

In this recent question, there was a comment 'The "zero point" of Kelvin is natural, but the scale is not'. This led me to wonder whether setting $$R = 1$$ in the ideal gas law would be an attractive and more natural temperature scale.

I am aware that changing to such a scale is not practical, the investment in the Kelvin is too great.

In natural units Boltzmann's constant, $$k$$, is normally set to one, rather than $$R$$. They differ by a factor of Avogadro's number; a mole is an arbitrarily defined unit based on the kilogram and is not "natural".
At least in my experience of high energy physics choosing $$k = 1$$ is common practice; I'm sure it occurs in other branches too.
• Regarding your edit, there are several different systems of natural units. All but one sets $k_b$ to one. The one that doesn't? Its sole concern is gravitation, so it only sets $c$ and $G$ to one. – David Hammen Jun 9 '19 at 20:06
Not really. The universal gas constant involves two arbitrary units: energy and temperature, and also the unitless mole. Getting rid of the concept of moles results in Boltzmann's constant $$k_b$$. This is the value that is set to 1 rather than $$R$$ in all systems of natural units.