Boyle’s law

Boyle's law (sometimes referred to as the Boyle–Mariotte law, or

Mariotte's law) is an experimental gas law that describes how
the pressure of a gas tends to increase as the volume of the
container decreases. A modern statement of Boyle's law is

The absolute pressure exerted by a given mass of an ideal gas is

inversely proportional to the volume it occupies if the temperature and amount of gas
remain unchanged within a closed system.

Boyle's Law Example Problem

 A balloon with a volume of 2.0 L is filled with a gas at 3
atmospheres. If the pressure is reduced to 0.5 atmospheres without a
change in temperature, what would be the volume of the balloon?

Solution:

Since the temperature does not change, Boyle's law can be used. Boyle's
gas law can be expressed as:

PiVi = PfVf

where
Pi = initial pressure
Vi = initial volume
Pf = final pressure
Vf = final volume

To find the final volume, solve the equation for Vf:

Vf = PiVi/Pf
Vi = 2.0 L
Pi = 3 atm
Pf = 0.5 atm

Vf = (2.0 L)(3 atm)/(0.5 atm)

Vf = 6 L/0.5
Vf = 12 L

Answer:

The volume of the balloon will expand to 12 L.

 A container holds 500. mL of CO2 at 20.° C and 742 torr. What

will be the volume of the CO2 if the pressure is increased to 795
torr?

Solutions

P1 = 742 torr P2 = 795 torr

V1 = 500. mL V2 = ?

T1 = 20.° C + 273 = 293 K T2 = 20.° C + 273 = 293 K

P1V1 = P2V2

V2 = P1V1/P2

V2 = 742 torr x 500. mL/795 torr = 467 mL CO2 (answer)

 9.48 L of a gas was at an unknown pressure. However, at
standard pressure, its volume was measured to be 8.00 L. What was
the unknown pressure?

Solution:

Notice the units of the pressure were not specified, so any can be
used. If this were a test question, you might want to inquire of the
teacher as to a possible omission of desired units. Let's use kPa since
the other two pressure units were used above.

Once again, insert into P1V1 = P2V2 for the solution.

(x) (9.48 L) = (101.325 kPa) (8.00 L)

x = 85.5 kPa (answer)

 If we have 6.00 cm3 of gas at a pressure of 10.0 N/cm2 and we

increase the pressure to 20.0 N/cm2, what volume will the gas
occupy?

Solution:

Newtons per square centimeter is not a unit you often see in chemistry, but it
doesn't matter what the unit is, just a long as both P1 and P2 are expressed
using the same unit.

(10.0) (6.00) = (20.0) (x)

x = 3.00 cm3

Notice that, when the pressure was doubled, the volume was cut in half. Also,
be careful. Your teacher may want you to include the units in the problem, like
this:

(10.0 N/cm2) (6.00 cm3) = (20.0 N/cm2) (x) (answer)

 What pressure is required to compress 196.0 liters of air at 1.00
atmosphere into a cylinder whose volume is 26.0 liters?

Solution:

(1.00 atm) (196.0 L) = (x) (26.0 L)

x = 7.54 atm (to three sig figs)

 A gas tank holds 2785 L of propane, C3H8, at 830. mm Hg.

What is the volume of the propane at standard pressure?

Solution :

P1 = 830. mm Hg P2 = 760 mm Hg

V1 = 2785 L V2 = ?

P1V1 = P2V2

V2 = P1V1/P2

V2 = 830. mm x 2785 L/760 mm = 3040 L C3H8

 352 mL of chlorine under a pressure of 680. mm Hg are placed

in a container under a pressure of 1210 mm Hg. The temperature
remains constant at 296 K. What is the volume of the container in
liters?

Solution:

P1 = 680. mm P2 = 1210 mm
V1 = 352 mL V2 = ?

P1V1 = P2V2

V2 = P1V1/P2

V2 = 680. mm x 352 mL/1210 mm = 198 mL Cl2