An atom with less than eight electrons in its valence shell. An atom with less than eight total bonding and nonbonding electrons in a Lewis structure, for example, B in BH 3 has an incomplete octet. Ideal gases have molecules with negligible size, and the average molar kinetic energy of an ideal gas depends only on its temperature. Most gases behave ideally at sufficiently low pressures. Ideal solutions obey Raoult's law exactly.
Real solutions behave ideally only when they are very dilute.
Compare with dependent variable . An independent variable that can be set to a known value in an experiment. Several independent variables may be controlled in an experiment. For example, in an experiment where the vapor pressure of a liquid is measured at several different temperatures, temperature is the independent variable and vapor pressure is the dependent variable. Compare with miscible and partial miscibility .