Activity 2

Boyle’s Law
Objective:
Investigate the relationship between volume
and pressure of gases at constant temperature.

Materials:
• 25 mL syringe • 5” by 3” illustration board
• set of weights • 6” by 4” by 0.25” wood
• ruler • candle or glue gun
• glue stick • match (if you opted to use
candle)
Procedure:
1. Fill the syringe with air by pulling the plunger. See to it
that the volume reading is at approximately 25.0 mL.
2. Seal the opening of the syringe with the melted glue
stick.
3. Bore a hole that is very close to the size of the opening
of the syringe in a 6” by 4” flat wood. Screw the wood on a
stable object. Insert in an upright position the sealed part of
the syringe in the hole of the wood, be sure it is sturdy.
4. Paste a 5” by 3” illustration board at the end of the
plunger. This will serve as the holder of the weights. You
have just prepared a Boyle’s Law Apparatus.

5. Carefully place a 200-gram weight on the holder and

get the volume
reading.
6. Place one at a time different weights to the plunger. If
you do not have set of weights, you may use books of the
same kind. Be sure to get the mass of each book.
7. Record the mass and volume reading using Table 1.
Table 1. Observation on Volume Changes
Trial Volume (cm3) Mass (g) Pressure (N/m2)

Initial Reading

Note: P = Force/Area
Force = mass (kg) x acceleration due to gravity (9.8m/s2)
πr2 = Surface Area of the syringe
Q1. what happens to the volume of the syringe as the set of
weights is added on top of it?
Q2. what happens to the pressure on the syringe when the
set of weights is added?
8. Plot a graph with the pressure at the y axis and volume
at the x axis.

Q3. Describe the graph.

Q4. What is the relationship between volume and pressure
of gases at constant temperature?
The activity you have performed enables you to observe Boyle’s
Law, which can be used to describe the relationship between the
volume and pressure of gases at constant temperature.

The relationship between the volume and

pressure of gases at constant temperature
was first stated by Robert Boyle during the
16th century. He performed an experiment
wherein he trapped a fixed amount of air in
the J-tube, he changed the pressure and
controlled the temperature and then, he
observed its effect to the volume of the air
inside the J-tube. He found out that as the
pressure is increased, the volume decreases.
He finally concluded that the volume of a
fixed amount of gas is inversely proportional
to its pressure at constant temperature.
Robert Boyle (1627-1691)
• Gas particles have a very weak intermolecular force of
attraction, hence they move as far as possible from each
other. They have the tendency to occupy all the spaces
they are contained in. If the pressure is increased, the
volume will be decreased forcing the gas particles to move
closer to one another.
• The observations in Activity 2 can be expressed in the
Boyle’s Law equation:

𝟏
Vα at constant T and n
𝑷
Where:
V = volume, P = pressure, T = temperature and n = amount of the gas.

It is read as: The volume of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure, if

temperature and amount of a gas are held constant.
• Let’s take a look at the equation again and try to change the
proportionality sign (α) with the equal sign (=).
𝟏
V α at constant (k)
𝑷

𝒌
V= Thus, k = VP
𝑷

• The latter equation is simply read as:

The product of Pressure and Volume is constant.
 Since volume and pressure of the gas can be varied,
let P1 and V1 be the initial pressure and volume
respectively and P2 and V2 be the final pressure and
volume respectively.

According to Boyle’s Law, PV = k therefore:

V1P1 = k
V2P2 = k
Then V1P1 = V2P2

You are now equipped with the fundamental

knowledge to cope with the problem solving activities
related to Boyle’s Law.
Remembering these equivalents will
also be of great help:
Volume units and their equivalents:
1 mL = 1 cm3 1 L = 1 dm3 1 m3 = 1000 L
Source: http://www.metric-conversions.org/volume/cubic-meters-to-liters.htm

Pressure units and their equivalents:

1 atm = 760 mm Hg = 76 cm Hg = 760 torr = 101325 Pa =
14.6956 p
Let’s try to solve this problem:
1. The inflated balloon that slipped from the hand of Renn
has a volume of 0.50 L at sea level (1.0 atm) and it
reached a height of approximately 8 km where the
atmospheric pressure is approximately 0.33 atm.
Assuming that the temperature is constant, compute for
the final volume of the balloon.
Source: http://regentsprep.org/Regents/math/algtrig/ATP8b/exponentialResource.htm
 In analyzing the problem, it is important that you
categorize the initial and final conditions of the variables:

Initial conditions Final conditions

V1 = 0.50 L V2 = ?
P1 = 1.0 atm P2 = 0.33 atm

By applying Boyle’s Law, can you predict what will

happen to the final volume?

Yes you are right! The final volume will increase. Let’s
compute for the numerical value of the final volume by
substituting the given values to this equation.
V1P1 = V2P2
V2 = ?
V1P1 = V2P2
V2 = V1P1 / P2

0.5 𝐿 (1.0 𝑎𝑡𝑚)

V2 =
(0.33 𝑎𝑡𝑚)
= 1.5 L
Did you notice the decrease in pressure and how it
affects the final volume? The pressure decreased by 1/3.
That is why, the volume increased by 3-folds. Try to
multiply V1 by P1 and V2 by P2. Does it have the same
product?
2. Oxygen gas inside a 1.5 L gas tank has a pressure of
0.95 atm. Provided that the temperature remains constant,
how much pressure is needed to reduce its volume by ½?

3. A scuba diver needs a diving tank in order to provide

breathing gas while he is underwater. How much pressure
is needed for 6.00 liters of gas at 1.01 atmospheric
pressure to be compressed in a 3.00 liter cylinder ?

4. A sample of fluorine gas occupies a volume of 600 mL at

760 torr. Given that the temperature remains the same,
calculate the pressure required to reduce its volume by 1/3.
Activity 3
Charles’ Law
Charles' Law
Charles' Law was named for
scientist Jacques Charles, who came
up with the idea for the law around
1780. The law says that when
temperature increases, the volume
of a gas increases, and it increases
at the same rate.
What this means is, as a gas
gets hotter, and its atoms move
faster, the amount of space it takes
up, or its volume, gets bigger, too.
Example. . .
Charles' Law
For gas, temperature and volume are directly proportional.
VαT
You can write this mathematically:
V = kT
V=volume, T=temperature, k=proportionality constant
We can rearrange this equation:
V/T = k or
The ratio of volume to temperature is at constant
Very often, Charles’ Law is used to compare two situations:

Before After

In that case, we can say:

V1/T1 = k V2/T2 = k

So, we can write Charles’ Law as:

V1/T1 = V2/T2
Let’s try to solve this problem:
1. A hot air balloon has a volume of 2,800 m3 at 99 C. What is the
volume if the air cool to 80 C?
Use Charles’ Law: V1/T1 = V2 /T2
In analyzing the problem, it is important that you categorize the
initial and final conditions of the variables:

Initial conditions Final conditions

V1 = 2,800 m3 V2 = ?
T1 = 99 C T2 = 80 C

Remember:
Convert temperatures to Kelvin:
Kelvin = C + 273
C= K - 273
Now,
Initial conditions Final conditions
V1 = 2,800 m3 V2 = ?
T1 = 99 C T2 = 80 C
= 372 Kelvin = 353 Kelvin

𝑉1 𝑉2
Charles’ Law =
𝑇1 𝑇2

2,800 𝑚3 𝑉2
=
372 𝐾 353 𝐾

(2,800 𝑚3)(353 𝐾)
V2=
(372 𝐾)

V2= 2656.9 m3
Example 2. At 0 C, a gas occupies 22.4 L. How hot must the
gas be, in Celsius, to reach a volume of 25.0 L?

Example 3. A bubble of air trapped in a pool of water has a

volume of 1.20cm3 at 24 C. calculate the temperature in
Celsius of the air bubble when the volume became 1.26cm3?

Example 4. The gas in a balloon occupies 2.25 L at 298K. At

what temperature will the balloon expand to 3.50 L?

Example 5. A balloon with a volume of 0.5 liters at 20 C is

left in a 120 C car all day. What is the final volume of the
balloon?
 Activity 4
Gay-Lussac’s Law
 A real life application that
demonstrates Gay-Lussac's gas law
• Firing a bullet. When gunpowder burns, it creates a
significant amount of superheated gas. The high pressure
of the hot gas behind the bullet forces it out of the barrel
of the gun.
• Heating a closed aerosol can. The increased pressure may cause the
container to explode. You don't toss an "empty" can of hairspray into a
fire.

• A burning automobile tire. The heat from the burning rubber will cause
the air pressure in the tire to increase and cause the weakened tire wall
to explode.
Gay-Lussac's Law
This relationship between
temperature and pressure is known
as Gay-Lussac's law.
It states that if the volume of a
container is held constant as the
temperature of a gas increases, the
pressure inside the container will also
increase. As with the other gas laws,
this one can be represented in the form
of an equation:
P1 /T1 = P2 /T2
Let's learn how to solve these
problems:
1. A 20-liter cylinder contains 6 atmospheres (atm) of gas
at 27 C. What would the pressure of the gas be if the gas
was heated to 77 C?
2. A gas has a pressure of 103kPa at 25 C, what will the
pressure be when the temperature reaches 928 C?
3. The pressure in an automobile tire is 1.88 atm at 25.0 C.
what will be the pressure if the temperature warms up to
37.0 C?
4. The pressure of a gas in a tank is 3.20 atm at 22.0 C. if
the temperature rises to 60.0 C, what will be the gas
pressure in the tank?
 Activity 5
Combined Gas Laws
What Is the Combined Gas Law?
The combined gas law makes use of the
relationships shared by pressure, volume, and
temperature: the variables found in other gas
laws, such as Boyle's law, Charles' law and
Gay-Lussac's law.
 Imagine you are a diver, and you begin your dive with
lungs full of air. As you go deeper under water, the
pressure you experience in your lungs increases. When this
happens, the air inside your lungs gets squished, so the
volume decreases. This is an example of Boyle's law in
action, which states that the higher the pressure (P), the
lower the volume (V), as shown in this image. Here, k is any
constant number.
 Have you ever tried putting a balloon in the
refrigerator and notice that it shrinks? As the temperature
of the refrigerated balloon decreases, the volume of the gas
inside the balloon also decreases. When you take the
balloon out of the refrigerator, it reverts to its original size,
so the opposite is also true; when the temperature
increases, the volume also increases. The shrinking balloon
serves as a demonstration of Charles' law, which states that
the higher the temperature (T), the higher the volume (V).
 Imagine yourself driving down a road, which can cause
the temperature to increase within your tires. As a result,
the air inside the tires expands, and the pressure increases.
This is an example of Gay-Lussac's law, which shows the
relationship between pressure (P) and temperature (T)
when the volume remains constant; as the temperature
increases, the pressure also increases.
 When we put Boyle's law, Charles' law, and
Gay-Lussac's law together, we come up with
the combined gas law, which shows that:

• Pressure is inversely proportional to volume, or

higher volume equals lower pressure.
• Pressure is directly proportional to temperature, or
higher temperature equals higher pressure.
• Volume is directly proportional to temperature, or
higher temperature equals higher volume.
The Formula
Let's take a look at the formula for the combined gas
law. Here, PV / T = k shows how pressure, volume and
temperature relate to each other, where k is a constant
number.
The Formula
The formula for the combined gas law can be adjusted
to compare two sets of conditions in one substance. In the
equation, the figures for pressure (P), volume (V), and
temperature (T) with subscripts of one represent the initial
condition, and those with the subscripts of two represent
the final condition.

• P1V1/T1 = P2V2/T2

It is important to note that the temperature should

always be in Kelvin, so if the given units are in Celsius,
then those should be converted to Kelvin by adding 273.
Examples
1. 450 mL of a gas occupies a container that has a temperature
of 28°C and a pressure of 788 mmHg. What is the
temperature if the volume is reduced to 50 mL at 760 mmHg?
As the unit of measurement is in Celsius, remember to
convert it to Kelvin.
2. A cylinder contain a gas of volume 30 L, at a pressure of 110
kPa and a temperature of 420 K. Find the temperature of the
gas which has a volume 40 L at a pressure of 120 kPa.
3. A sample of nitrogen monoxide has a volume of 72.6 mL at a
temperature of 16 C and a pressure of 104.1 kPa. What
volume will the sample occupy at 24 C and 99.3 kPa?
Avogadro’s Law
 Avogadro was the first to suggest that the volume of a
gas is directly proportional to the number of moles of gas
present at a given temperature and pressure.

During the first half of the nineteenth century,

Lorenzo Romano Amedeo Carlo Avogadro,
Count of Quaregna and Cerreto, made
important contributions in shedding light on
reaction stoichiometry. He provided
explanations as to why compounds reacted in
definite ratios and on how the amount of gas
affects its volume. Experimentally, the most
convenient way of quantifying the amount of
gas is through its mass. Avogadro played an
important role in providing evidence of the
existence of atoms. Eventually the number of Amedeo Avogadro
molecules in a mole is named after him. (1776 – 1856
 The volume of gases is directly proportional to the
number of mole whose symbol is n
Using the proportionality symbol, we can express the
proportionality between the volume and the number of mole
of a gas as:
V α n at constant T and P
Mathematically, the Avogadro’s Hypothesis can be
expressed as:
𝑉
=k
𝑛

where V is the volume of gas

n is the amount of gas in moles and
k is a proportionality constant
This can also be expressed as:

V1 V2
= or V1n2 = V2 n1
𝑛1 𝑛2

Let’s apply Avogadro’s Hypothesis in solving this problem.

What will be the final volume of a 5.00 L He gas which
contains 0.965 mole of at 30°C and 1.00 atmosphere, if the
amount of this gas is increased to 1.80 moles provided that
temperature and pressure remains unchanged?
 Start analysing the problem by identifying the initial
and final conditions:

Initial Conditions Final Conditions

V1 = 5.0 L V2 = ?
n1 = 0.965 mol n2 = 1.80 mol
P1 = 1.00atm P2 = 1.00atm
T1 = 30 C T2 = 30 C
 Since the temperature and pressure are held constant,
we will use this formula:

V2 = V1n2/n1

(5.0𝐿)(1.80 𝑚𝑜𝑙)
=
(0.965 𝑚𝑜𝑙)
= 9.3L
Let’s have more problem sets!
2. A 7.25 L sample of nitrogen gas is determined to contain
0.75 mole of nitrogen. How many moles of nitrogen gas
would there be in a 20 L sample provided the temperature
and pressure remains the same.
3. If 0.75 mole of helium gas occupies a volume of 1.5 L,
what volume will 1.2 moles of helium occupy at the same
temperature and pressure?
4. A sample with 0.15 moles of gas has a volume of 2.5 L.
what is the volume if the sample is increased to 0.55 moles?
Ideal Gas Law :Adding moles
Let’s us now recall the previous gas
laws that we have learned
The different gas laws are:
𝟏
• Boyle’s Law: V α (n and T are constant)
𝑷
• Charles’ Law: V α T (n and P are constant)
• Avogadro’s Law: V α n (P and T are constant)
Combining the three laws, you will get:
𝑛𝑇
Vα=
𝑃
Using the sign of equality will result to this equation:
𝑅𝑛𝑇
V= or PV = nRT
𝑃
Where:
• V = volume in liters
• P = pressure in atmosphere
• n = moles
• T = temperature in Kelvin
• R = universal gas constant, 0.0821 L. atm mol. K
Let’s use the ideal gas equation in the
following problems:
1. Calculate the pressure exerted by a 0.25 mole sulfur
hexafluoride in a steel vessel having a capacity of 1,250
mL at 70.0°C.
2. Fermentation of glucose produce gas in the form of
carbon dioxide, how many moles of carbon dioxide is
produced if 0.78 L of carbon dioxide at 20.1°C and 1.00
atm was collected during the process?
3. A sample of liquid acetone is placed in a 25.0 mL flask
and vaporized by the heating to 75°C at 1.02 atm. The
vapor weighs 5.87 g. Calculate the number of moles of
the acetone.