Name: Ife ______________________________________ Date: ________________________

Student Exploration: Boyle’s Law and Charles’s Law

Vocabulary: absolute zero, Boyle’s law, Charles’s law, Gay-Lussac’s law, Kelvin scale,
pressure

Prior Knowledge Question (Do this BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

A small helium tank measures about two feet (60 cm) high. Yet it can fill over 50 balloons! How
can such a small tank contain enough helium to fill so many balloons?

- Gases have unique properties, they take shape of spaces they find themselves in.
Indefinitely they expand out in all directions. Due to this information they can fill up as
many balloons as possible, the volume of the tank is just the volume of the container, it’s
not the volume of the gas. If the gas gets to very high pressure, it can fill as many as 50
more balloons. Pressure tends to determine the volume of gases.

Gizmo Warm-up
The Boyle’s Law and Charles’s Law Gizmo shows a container
of gas. Inside, small purple spheres represent gas molecules.

1. Observe the particles. Are they all moving at the same

speed?

- Yes

2. How do the particles interact with the walls and lid of the container?
- They bounce off

These interactions contribute to the pressure on the walls of the container. Pressure is
defined as force per unit area. The SI units of pressure are newtons per square meter
(N/m2), or pascals (Pa).

3. Slowly drag the temperature (T) slider back and forth. (Note: In this Gizmo, the Kelvin scale
is used to measure temperature. On the Kelvin scale, 0 degrees is absolute zero, the
coldest possible temperature. Absolute zero is equal to -273.15 °C or -459.67 °F)

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A. How does the change in temperature affect the speed of the molecules?
- It slows down when the temperature is lower but when the temperature
is higher, it speeds up

B. How does the change in temperature affect the volume of the container?

- The lower the volume means less temperature or lower temperature, but
higher temperature means higher temperature.

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 Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A:
● Set the temperature (T) to 300 K.
Boyle’s law
● Check that the mass (m) is set to 0 kg.

Question: How does pressure affect the volume of a gas?

1. Form hypothesis: In this experiment, you will pile weights on the lid of the container of gas.
What do you think will happen as more weight is added to the lid?

There will be less space so it’s going to have a lower volume and the more pressure and
particles will move slower to less space.

2. Notice: Look at the DESCRIPTION pane. What is the mass of the lid? 10kg

How much pressure does the lid exert on the gas? 98.1 N/m2

3. Collect data: With the temperature held constant at 300 K, use the Select mass slider to
place weights on the lid. Record the pressure and volume of the gas for each added mass.

Added mass Total mass

Pressure* Volume
on the lid (lid + added mass)
0 kg 10 kg 98.1 N/m2 2.54 m3
10 kg 20 kg 196.2 N/m2 1.27 m3
20 kg 30 kg 294.3 N/m2 0.85m3
30 kg 40 kg 392.4 N/m2 0.64m3

*This model does not include atmospheric pressure, which is 101,325 N/m2.

4. Analyze: As the pressure increases at a constant temperature, what happens to the volume

of the gas?

- It decreases

This relationship is called Boyle’s law.

5. Calculate: Compare the pressure and volume values in your data table.

A. How did doubling the pressure change the gas volume?

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 - The volume decreased in half

B. How did tripling the pressure change the gas volume?

- The volume decreased by 1.69m3

C. How did quadrupling the pressure change the gas volume?

- The volume decreased by 1.9 m3

(Activity A continued on next page)

Activity A (continued from previous page)

6. Predict: If the added mass on the lid was 50 kg, a total mass of 60 kg would exert pressure

on the gas inside the container. What will be the volume of the gas?

- 0.15m3

7. Test: Test your prediction using the Gizmo. What is the volume of the gas? 0.39m3

Was your prediction correct? no

8. Create a graph: On the GRAPH tab, select V vs. P. Set m to 0 kg, and click Record to plot
a point on the graph. Plot a point for each possible mass to create a graph showing the
relationship between pressure and volume.

When your graph is completed, click the camera ( ) icon to take a snapshot. Right-click
the image, and click Copy Image. Paste the image into a blank word-processing document,
and label the graph “Volume vs. Pressure.”

A. What is the shape of the graph?

- Decreasing or half of the parabola

B. How does this graph illustrate Boyle’s law?

- Shows that as the pressure increases the volume decreases when temp is
constant

C. How do you think the graph might change if the temperature was held constant at a

higher temperature, say 400 K?

- The volume will increase a bit

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9. Apply: Think about a small helium tank that can fill 50 balloons. What must be true about the
helium in the tank compared to the helium in the balloons?
- The helium in the tank is under pressure, while the balloons must not have great
pressure so letting the atoms spread apart.

Get the Gizmo ready:

Activity B:
● On the SIMULATION pane, set T to 100 K and m
Charles’s law
to 0 kg.

Question: How does temperature affect the volume of a gas?

1. Form hypothesis:

- How do you think the volume of a gas will change as the temperature rises and falls?

Well the temperature falls it will have less volume and when it’s high it will have a more

volume.

2. Collect data: Without changing the mass on the lid, record the pressure and volume of the
gas at each of the given temperatures.

Temperature Pressure* Volume

100 K 98.1 N/m2 0.85 m3
200 K 98.1 N/m2 1.7 m3
300 K 98.1 N/m2 2.54 m3
400 K 98.1 N/m2 3.39 m3
500 K 98.1 N/m2 4.24 m3

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 *This model does not include atmospheric pressure, which is 101,325 N/m2.

3. Analyze: As the temperature increases at constant pressure, what happens to the volume of

the gas?

- As the temperature increases, the volume of the gas will also decrease

This relationship is called Charles’s law.

4. Explain: Based on the motions of the gas molecules, why do you think the volume changed

as it did when the temperature was increased?

- When temperature increases the molecules move faster, and then the faster the

molecule pushes on the lid of the container with greater force and a greater frequency,

causing the lid to fully move up. So As the lid moves up the likelihood of collisions

decrease because enclosed gas is less dense.The lid moves up until the greater force of

collisions is offset by having fewer collisions.

5. Think about it: Why do you think the pressure was the same in each test? Because the
weight on the lid is the same each test, so the pressure on the gas was the same.

(Activity B continued on next page)

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Activity B (continued from previous page)

6. Calculate: Compare the pressure and volume values in your data table.

A. How did doubling the temperature affect the gas volume? Gas doubled

B. How did tripling the temperature affect the gas volume? Gas tripled

C. How did quadrupling the temperature affect the gas volume? Gas volume
quadrupled

7. Predict: Suppose the temperature was 50 K. What will be the volume of the gas?

- It will weigh less than 1

8. Test: Test your prediction using the Gizmo. What is the volume of the gas?
- 0.42m3

Was your prediction correct? Yes

9. Create a graph: On the GRAPH tab, select V vs. T. Set T to 50 K, and click Record to plot a
point on the graph. Plot a point every 50 degrees to create a graph showing the relationship
between temperature and volume.

When your graph is complete, click the camera icon to take a snapshot. Paste the image
into your document, and label the graph “Volume vs. Temperature.”

A. What is the shape of the graph?

- The graph goes up so linear.

B. How does this graph illustrate Charles’s law?

- Shows that as temperature increases the volume increases

10. Apply: Based on what you learned, what would happen to a balloon placed in the freezer?

- The ballon will shrink in th freezer, because it cools down

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 What would happen to a balloon placed in a warm oven? (Assume it doesn’t pop.)

- The ballon will expand, because it warms up

11. Think and discuss: Consider temperature, pressure, and volume. How does the
mathematical relationship in Boyle’s law compare to that in Charles’s law?

Charles law - the temp increases the volume increases

Boyles law : as pressure increases the volume will decrease.

Get the Gizmo ready:

Activity C:
● On the SIMULATION pane, set T to 300 K and m
Gay-Lussac’s Law to 15 kg.
● Turn on the Constant volume checkbox.

Question: How does temperature affect the pressure of a gas when volume is constant?

1. Form hypothesis: If the volume of a gas is held constant, how do you think the pressure will

change as temperature increases? The pressure will increase

2. Collect data: Select the TABLE tab. Record the pressure when T = 100 K, 200 K, and so
forth up to 500 K. (Note: The volume will remain constant at 1.02 m3.)

Pressure
Temperature Pressure
Temperature
100 K 98.1 N/m2 0.981 Pa/K
200 K 196.2 N/m2 0.981 Pa/K
300 K 294.3 N/m2 0.981 Pa/K
400 K 392.4 N/m2 0.981 Pa/K
500 K 490.5 N/m2 0.981 Pa/K

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3. Analyze: Divide the pressure by the temperature to fill in the last column of the table. Since
1 N/m2 is equal to 1 pascal (Pa), write the units of the ratio as Pa/K.

A. When the volume is held constant, how does the pressure change as temperature

increases? The pressure increases

B. What do you notice about the ratio of pressure to temperature, when volume is

constant? The temperature/pressure ratio is always 0.981 Pa/k

Gay-Lussac’s law states that, at constant volume, the ratio of pressure to

temperature is constant. As temperature increases, pressure increases as well.

4. Explain: Based on the motions of the gas molecules, why do you think the pressure

changed as it did when the temperature was increased?

- As temp increases the molecule will move faster, increasing the # of collisions and the

force of collision between the molecules and the walls of the container, this increases

the pressure on the walls of the container.

(Activity C continued on next page)

Activity C (continued from previous page)

5. Calculate: Compare the pressure and temperature values in your data table.

A. At constant volume, how did doubling the temperature affect the pressure? The

pressure doubled when the temp was doubled.

B. How did tripling the temperature affect the pressure? Pressure tripled

C. How did quadrupling the temperature affect the gas pressure? Pressure quadrupled

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1. Create a graph: Record the pressure for temperatures of 50 K, 150 K, 250 K, 350 K, and
450 K. On the GRAPH tab, select P vs. T. Click the camera icon to take a snapshot. Paste
the image into your document, and label the graph “Pressure vs. Temperature.”

A. What is the shape of the graph?

- Up from left to right, linear

B. How does this graph illustrate Gay-Lussac’s law?

- When volume is kept constant the temp increases the pressure also increases

2. Apply: Based on what you learned, what do you think would happen if you placed a sealed

container of gas into a fire?

- if a sealed container was placed in fire, the temperature& pressure of the gas will

increase until the container breaks or explodes

3. Challenge: Combine Boyle’s law, Charles’s law, and Gay-Lussac’s law into a single
proportional relationship between pressure (P), volume (V), and temperature (T). Use the
symbol “∝” to represent “is proportional to.”

Explain your reasoning.

- Because Charles law states that at constant pressure, the volume is proportional to
temperature, gay-lussac law states that at constant volume pressure is proportional to
temperature. So the product of pressure and volume is proportional to temp.

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