Unit 10: Gas Laws  

Lesson 10.2 
Boyle’s Law 
 
Contents 
Introduction 1 

Learning Objectives 2 

Warm Up 2 

Learn about It! 3 

Pressure-Volume Relationship of Gases 3 
Calculations Involving Boyle’s Law 5 

Key Points 10 

Key Formula 10 

Check Your Understanding 11 

Challenge Yourself 12 

Bibliography 13 

Key to Try It! 13 

 
   

 
  
Unit 10: Gas Laws  
Lesson 10.2 

Boyle’s Law 
 

 
 

  Introduction 
When  you  inflate  a  balloon,  you  are  isolating  a  gas  system  inside  a balloon. Since balloons 
are  elastic,  it  will  be  easy  to  see  the  volume  changes  that  the  gases  undergo. For instance, 
what  would  happen  if  you  try  to  increase  the  pressure  outside the balloon? What if you let 
the  balloon  experience  pressures  in  a  vacuum?  To  fully  describe  a  gas,  you  must  identify 
four  of  its  physical  properties: volume, pressure, temperature, and amount. The last lesson 
told  you  that  these  four  properties  are  dependent on each other. In this lesson, you will be 
learning how the volume of gases changes with pressure. 

 
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Learning Objectives  DepEd Competencies 

 
In this lesson, you should be able to do the  ● Express the gas laws in equation 
following:  form  

● Qualitatively  relate the pressure to the  (STEM_GC11G-Ih-i-44). 

● Use the gas laws to determine 
volume of gases. 
pressure, volume, or temperature 
● Construct  the  mathematical  relation  of a gas under certain conditions of 
of the pressure and volume of gases.  change 
(STEM_GC11G-Ih-i-45).   
● Apply  Boyle's  law  to  practical 
problems. 
 

  Warm Up   

  Feel the Pressure      10 minutes 

When  you  inflate  a  balloon,  you  see  its  shape  based  on  the  pressure  of  the  Earth’s 
atmosphere.  What  happens  when  you  subject  the  same balloon to different pressures? Will 
it  change  the  shape  of  the  balloon?  In  this  activity,  you  will  see  how  changes  in  pressure 
affect the shape of the balloon, and consequently, the volume of gases inside the balloon. 
  

Materials 
● small balloon 
● syringe (without its needle) 

 
Procedure 
1. Slightly  fill  the  balloon  with  air.  Make  sure  that  the  balloon  can  still  fit  inside  the 
syringe. 
2. Knot the balloon to prevent air from leaking. 
3. Place the balloon inside the syringe. 
4. Cover the tip of the syringe with your finger. 
5. Push the syringe. Observe what happens to the balloon. 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
6. Release the tip of the syringe to relieve pressure. 
7. Cover  the  tip  once  again  and  then  pull  the  syringe.  Observe  what  happens  to  the 
balloon. 
8. Release the tip of the syringe to relieve pressure. 
 
Guide Questions 
1. What  happened  to  the  balloon  when  you  pushed  the  syringe?  How  about  when  you 
pulled it? 
2. What happened to the balloon when you released the tip of the syringe? 
3. Based  on  your  observations,  what  happens  to  the  gas  inside  the  balloon  when  you 
increase its pressure? How about when you decrease it? 
 

  Learn about It! 

Pressure-Volume Relationship of Gases 
 

How does the pressure of a gas change with 

  respect to its volume? 
 
Gases  need  to  collide with a surface for it to apply pressure. Pressure is defined as the force 
applied  by  gases  over  a  surface  area.  When  a  gas  experiences  strong  pressure,  it  tends  to 
compress  and  reduce  its  volume  or  the  space  it  occupies.  When  there  is  weak  pressure, 
nothing  will  keep  the  gases  close  together  and  hence  will  allow  them  to  expand  their 
volumes.  This  relationship  is  called  Boyle’s  law,  named  after  Robert  Boyle  in  1662,  who 
established the first of the simple gas laws. 
 
Mathematically  speaking,  the  pressure  of  a  gas  is  inversely  proportional  to  its  volume.  This 
proportionality  is  expressed  in  Equation  10.2.1.  From  this  equation  alone,  we  can describe 
the effects of volume on the pressure of gases: 
1. The pressure of a gas increases as its volume decreases. 
2. The pressure of a gas decreases as its volume increases. 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Take  note  that  Boyle’s  law  only  applies  if  the  temperature  and  the  amount  of  gas  remain 
constant. 
 

Equation 10.2.1 
 

 
For  you  to  use  Equation  10.2.1  in  quantitative  problems,  you  need  to  convert  the 
proportionality  symbol,  ∝,  to  an  equal  sign.  The  product  of  the  pressure  and  volume  then 
equates  to  a  proportionality  constant,  k,  as  shown  in  Equation  10.2.2.  For  a  gas,  the 
pressure  will  always  adjust  with  the  volume  until  the  product  of  the  two  is  constant.  The 
value of the proportionality constant is dependent on temperature and amount of gas. 
 

  Equation 10.2.2 

 
Now,  suppose  you  have  a  gas  in  a  container  with  movable  parts.  If  this  gas  has  an  initial 
pressure  of  Pi  and  the  container  an  initial  volume  of Vi and the container adjusted to have a 
final  volume  of  Vf,  the  gas  will  adjust  its  pressure  to  Pf,  as  stated  in  Equation  10.2.2.  This 
means  that  the  product  PiVi  will  always  be  equal  to  the  product  PfVf  as  shown  in  Equation 
10.2.3.  
 

  Equation 10.2.3 

 
Graphically,  this  can  be  represented  by  Figure  10.2.1.  In  the  graph,  the  Point  i  depicts  the 
values  of  Pi  and  Vi  of  the  gas  going  towards  the  values  Pf  and  Vf.  Such  graphs  are  called P-V 
diagrams.  They  represent  the  changes  in  pressure  of  a  gas  with  its  volume,  provided  that 
other parameters are constant. 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  

  
Figure 10.2.1. The P-V diagram for a gas when the amount of gas and temperature are 
constant 
 
Calculations Involving Boyle’s Law 
Performing  calculations  involving  Boyle’s  law  is  fairly  simple.  All  you  need  are  Equation 
10.2.2  and  Equation  10.2.3,  and  you  will  be  able  to  determine the changes in pressure and 
volume  of  gases  at  a  constant  amount  of  gas  and  temperature.  A  direct  substitution would 
often  solve  most  problems,  although  you  may  have  to perform the conversion of units. The 
initial  and  final  units  in  Boyle’s  law  should  be  the  same.  Otherwise,  you  will  only  perform 
erroneous calculations. Try following the steps in the examples below. 
 

  Let's Practice!  
Example 1    
A  tank  of  argon  gas  has  a  pressure  of  5.00  atm  and  a  volume  of  10.00  L.  What  will  be  its 
pressure (in atm) if it was transferred to another tank with a volume of 20.00 L? 
 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is being asked. 
You are asked to compute for the final pressure. 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Step 2: Identify what is given. 
The initial pressure, initial volume, and final volume are given.  

 
 
Step 3: Write the Boyle’s law equation. 

 
 
Step 4: Rearrange to isolate the final pressure. 

 
 
Step 5: Substitute the given values. 

 
 
Step 6: Solve for Pf. 

 
 
The final pressure of the gas after being transferred is 2.50 atm. 
 

1  Try It!  
A  tank  of  oxygen gas has a pressure of 621 torr and a volume of 0.324 L. What will be 
its pressure (in torr) if it was transferred to another tank with a volume of 2.00 L? 

 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Example 2  
A  gas  with  an  unknown  composition  was  contained  in  a  500  mL  container  and  gave  a 
pressure of 0.75 bar. What will be its final pressure (in bar) if it was moved to a 2.00 L tank? 
 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is being asked. 
You are asked to compute for the final pressure. 
 
Step 2: Identify what is given. 
The initial pressure, initial volume, and final volume are given. 

 
 
Step 3: Convert Vi to L units. 

 
 
Step 4: Write the Boyle’s Law equation. 

 
 
Step 5: Rearrange to isolate the final pressure. 

 
 
Step 6: Substitute the given values. 

 
 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Step 7: Solve for Pf. 

 
 
Therefore, the gas will have a final pressure of 0.188 bar. 
 

2  Try It!  
A  nitrogen  gas  contained  in  a  5  000.00  mL  chamber  has  a  pressure  of  1  000  torr. 
Calculate the final pressure (in torr) when it is moved to a 20.00 L tank. 

 
Example 3  
A  gas  with  an  unknown  composition  was  contained  in  a  500  mL  container  and  gave  a 
pressure of 0.75 bar. What will be its final pressure in atm if it was moved to a 2.00 L tank? 
 
Solution 
Step 1: Identify what is being asked. 
You are asked to compute for the final pressure. 
 
Step 2: Identify what is given. 
The initial pressure, initial volume, and final volume are given. 

 
 
Step 3: Convert Vi to L units. 

 
 
Step 4: Write the Boyle’s law equation. 

 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
Step 5: Rearrange to isolate the final pressure. 

 
Step 6: Substitute the given values. 

 
 
Step 7: Solve for Pf. 

 
 
Step 8: Convert Pf to the desired units. 

 
 
Therefore, the gas will have a final pressure of 0.185 atm. 
 

3  Try It!  
A  gas  with  a  pressure  of 10.00 bar in a 1.00 L steel container was released to another 
chamber.  If the final pressure of the gas is 1.00 atm, what is the volume (in mL) of the 
chamber? 

 
 

Will Boyle’s law apply if you have an inert mixture of 

  gases?  
 
 
 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 

Tips 
Always  check  the  units  of  volume  and  pressure.  You  cannot  use 
Boyle’s  law  if  the units of the initial and final volumes and pressures 
are different. Convert the units when necessary. 

 
 

Key Points 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

● Boyle’s law states that the pressure of a gas at constant temperature is inversely 
proportional to its volume. It can also be stated in one of two ways: 
○ As the pressure of a gas increases at constant temperature, its volume 
decreases. 
○ As the pressure of a gas decreases at constant temperature, its pressure 
increases. 
_________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 
Key Formula 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 

Concept  Formula  Description 

Boyle’s Law    Use this formula to solve 

any of the four variables 
 
when the other three are 
where: 
given. 
● Pi is the initial pressure of 
the gas 
● Vi is the initial volume 
● Pf is the final pressure of 
the gas 
● Vf is the final volume 

 
___________________________________________________________________________________________ 
 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 

  Check Your Understanding 

 

A. Write  true  if  the  statement  is  correct.  Otherwise,  write 

false. 
 

___________________________ 1.   Boyle’s  law  will  only  apply  if  the  temperature  of  the 
gas remains constant. 

___________________________ 2.  The  pressure  of  a  gas  will  increase  if transferred to a 

larger  container  while  keeping  the  temperature  and 
amount of gas constant. 

___________________________ 3.   The initial and final pressure units should always 
match before using Boyle’s law for computation. 

___________________________ 4.   Boyle’s  law  will  not  apply  if  there  is  an  inert  mixture 
of gases. 

___________________________ 5.   The increase in pressure of air during heating is 

described by Boyle’s law. 

B. Solve  the  problems  given  below.  Round  off  your  answers  to  three 
 
digits. 

1. A gas occupying a volume of 0.33 L has a pressure of 0.55 atm. Calculate its final 
pressure when its volume decreases to 0.10 L. 
2. Calculate the final volume of a gas with 450 mmHg if its initial pressure and volume 
are 300 mmHg and 300 mL, respectively. 
3. A tank of gas has a pressure of 16.2 bar and a volume of 50.0 L. What will be the 
pressure of the gas if it is transferred to a 20.0 L container? 
4. Compute the initial volume of a gas if it has a final pressure of 0.21 atm, a final 
volume of 250 mL, and an initial pressure of 1.00 atm. 
5. What is the initial volume of a gas with 800 torr if it has a pressure 760 torr and a 
volume of 150 mL? 
 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
6. If an argon gas with a pressure of 3.00 bar is initially stored in a 0.500 L container, 
what will its pressure be if it is released in a 4.00 L chamber? 
7. An air mixture has a final pressure of 2.75 bar when stored in a 600 mL container. 
What is its initial pressure if it was originally stored in a 150 mL steel container? 
8. Calculate the final volume of an air mixture if it has an initial pressure of 500 torr, an 
initial volume of 100 cm3, and a final pressure of 800 torr. 
9. A reaction producing CO2 was done in a 500 mL flask and gave a pressure 1.25 bar. 
What will be the pressure if the same reaction was done in a 250 mL flask? 
10. If a gas in a 5.00 L container has a pressure of 920 torr, what will its pressure be in an 
8.00 L container? 
11. A 100-cm3 piston experiences 10,000 kPa of pressure. The volume of the gas 
chamber is 1, 030 cm3 upon expansion. What is its final pressure? 
12. Compute the final pressure if an elastic container that has an initial pressure of 1.00 
atm and a volume of 1.50 L expands isothermally to 6.00 L. 
13. An evacuated container initially has 200 kPa of pressure and 4.00 L of volume, what 
is its final pressure if it is made to expand to 20.00 L? 
14. A 40.00 L nitrogen tank was loaded with 13.8 bar. What would be the pressure of the 
gas if it was loaded to a 33.00 L tank instead? 
15. If a 1.75-m3 balloon was loaded with 1.05 atm of air, what would its final pressure be 
if it was shrunk to 1.50 m3? 
 

  Challenge Yourself 
 

Answer the following questions.    

1. How would the volume of a gas change if its pressure doubles? 

2. How  would  the  pressure  change  if  the  gas was transferred to a container one-fourth 
the volume of the original container? 
3. By  how  much  should  a  1.00-L  container  be  compressed  if  the  pressure  of  the  gas 
needs to be reduced from 10.00 atm to standard pressure conditions? 
4. A  sample  of  ethanol gas occupies 350 mL of volume at standard pressure conditions. 
What volume will it occupy if the pressure is reduced to 740 torr? 
 

 
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Unit 10: Gas Laws  
 
5. A  sample  of  a  pure,  unknown  gas  has  a  pressure  of 10.2 torr and occupies a volume 
of  42.5  mL.  If  the  gas  condenses  at  a  pressure  of  20.0  torr  and  above,  would  it 
condense at a volume of 30.00 mL? 
 

 Bibliography 
Brown, Theodore L. 2004. Chemistry: The Central Science (11th ed). Singapore: Pearson 
Education (Asia) Pte Ltd. 
 
Chang, Raymond. 2010. Chemistry (10th ed). New York: McGraw-Hill. 
 
Petrucci, Ralph H. 2011. General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications. Toronto, Ont.: 
Pearson Canada. 
 
Silberberg, Martin S. 2009. Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change (5th ed). 
New York: McGraw-Hill. 
 
Whitten, Kenneth W. 2013. Chemistry (10th ed). Boston: Cengage Learning. 
 

  Key to Try It! 

1. 100.602 
2. 250.0 torr 
3. 9 869.23 mL

 
10.2. Boyle’s Law    13