LESSON 1

Boyle’s Law
 Properties that Describe a Gas
Gases are described in terms of four properties:

 Pressure {P}

 Volume {V}

 Temperature {T}

 Amount {n}
 Gas Pressure (P)
It is described as a force acting on a specific area.

Pressure (P) = Force

Area

It has units of atm, mm Hg, torr, lb/in² and kilopascals (kPa).

1 atm = 760 mm Hg = 760 torr

1 atm = 101.325 kPa
 Volume (V)
It is the three – dimensional space occupied by a gas.

Its common units are:

mL, L, m³, cm³

Conversion factors:

1 L = 1000 mL
1 mL = 1 cm³
 Temperature (T)
It is the measure of the hotness or coldness of a body.

It is the measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles in an object.
KE = movement
Note: The faster the movement of the particles in an object, the higher the
temperature will be. If the temperature is lower, the slower the particles in an
object.

Temperature units:
• Fahrenheit (°F), Celsius (°C), Kelvin (K)
• SI unit is Kelvin
Temperature Conversion:
 Quantity (n)
It is measured in moles (mol)

1 mole = 6.022 x 10²³ units of a substance

Note: quantity is not the same as mass.

 BIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT BOYLE
Robert Boyle was born on January 25, 1627 at Lismore Castle, County
Waterford, Ireland. He died on December 31, 1691 in London, England.

He is an Anglo-Irish natural Philosopher and theological writer, a preeminent

figure of 17th Century intellectual culture.

He is a natural philosopher, chemist, physicist and inventor.

He is regarded as the first Modern Chemist and one of the founders of
Modern Chemistry and one of the pioneers of modern experimental scientific
method.
 BIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT BOYLE
 He was able to investigate the relationship between pressure and volume of a
gas using a J-shaped tube apparatus, which is closed on one end.

 In his experiment, he trapped air in the tube with liquid mercury. He

measured the volume of the trapped air and the difference in the heights of
the mercury columns in two arms of the tube. As he poured successive
amounts of mercury into the open end of the tube, he found that the volume
of the trapped air decreases. His findings showed that whenever another
amount of mercury is added to the J-shaped tube apparatus, a new volume
and new pressure from the trapped gas is measured.
 BIOGRAPHY OF ROBERT BOYLE

 In his observation, he expressed the volume readings in cubic inches and the
pressure in inches of mercury.

 He then proposed the Boyle’s Law.

 BOYLE’S LAW

 Boyles’ Law is also referred to as the Boyle-Mariotte Law or Mariotte’s

Law.

 It is an experimental gas law that describes the relationship between pressure

and volume of a confined gas.

 Boyle’s Law has been stated as: “ 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
At a constant temperature, the product of gas pressure and volume is always constant.
This is what is stated in Boyle’s Law. It was published in 1662 and proposed by Robert
Boyle. It can be determined experimentally using a pressure gauge and a variable volume
container. If a container with a fixed number of molecules inside is reduced in volume,
more molecules will hit the sides of the container per unit time, causing greater pressure.

For a given sample of gas under two different conditions at a constant temperature, the
product of pressure and volume is constant; thus, it is written as follows:

P₁V₁ = P₂V₂

where P₁ and V₁ are the initial pressure and volume; while, P₂ and V₂ are the final
pressure and volume of the same amount of gas at the same temperature.
 SAMPLE PROBLEM:

A sample of oxygen gas O2, has a volume of 9.0 L and a pressure of 2.0 atm. What is its final pressure
if the volume is decreased to 3.0 L?

Given: V₁ = 9.0 L P₁ = 2.0 atm V₂ = 3.0 L P₂ = ?

Solution: P₁V₁ = P₂V₂

P2 = P₁V₁ /V₂
= (2.0 atm) (9.0 L)/3.0 L
= 6.0 atm
 SAMPLE PROBLEM:
The pressure of oxygen gas increases from 2.0 atm to 6.0 atm. This is the change expected since the
volume decreased.

Given: V1 = 10.0 L V2 = ? P1 = 780 mm Hg P2 = 2.0 atm

Notice that P1 and P2 have different units. You may choose to change 780 mm Hg to atm or 2.0 atm to
torr.

Remember that 760 mm Hg = atm. Thus, (780 mm Hg) (1 atm)/760 mm Hg = 1.026 atm or (2.0 atm)
(760 mm Hg) / 1atm = 1520 mm Hg.
From the formula P1V1 = P2V2 we will have

V2 = P1V1/P2 V2 = P1V1/P2
= (1.026 atm) (10.0 L) / 2.0 atm = (780 mm Hg) (10.oL)/1520 mm Hg
= 5.13 L = 5.13 L

* Take note that we will arrive at the same answer, though we used different units of pressure, as long
as the conversion of the units is correct.
 Application of Boyle’s Law
1. Breathing or respiration is one of the basic applications of Boyle’s Law. As one inhales, the
diaphragm muscles contract, causing the thoracic cavity to expand. The expansion increases the
volume and results in the decrease of pressure. Meanwhile, as one exhales, the muscle relax
causing the thoracic cavity to decrease in volume. This causes an increase in pressure inside the
lungs; thus pushing the air out.
2. Deep sea fishes, when brought to the surface, die due to the decreased pressure. This results in the
increased volume of gases in their bodies.
3. A syringe plunger being pressed down to draw out the fluid causes the volume inside the syringe
to decrease while increasing the pressure inside.