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Understanding Boyles Law

2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

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2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

 Objective
Investigate the relationship between gas volume and
pressure using Boyles Law

Determine the function that describes the

relationship between two gases and their respective
Student pressures using Boyles Law
Activity
.
Materials
Voyage 200 Personal Learning Tool (PLT)

CellSheet App loaded on Voyage 200 PLT

Understanding
CellSheet AppVar Boyle loaded on Voyage 200 PLT
Boyles Law

Introduction
According to Boyles Law, when a gas inside a closed container is compressed, its
pressure and volume usually change. As the force exerted on the gas increases, the
pressure of the gas increases while the volume of the gas decreases. Two quantities
that change in this way are said to vary inversely.
As the volume of a gas decreases, the pressure of the gas increases proportionately.
For example, when the volume of the gas changes from 6 mL to 12 mL, an
increase of 6 mL or 2 times the original volume, the pressure of the gas
changes from 4.00 atm to 2.00 atm, which is a decrease of 2 atm or 1/2
times the original pressure.
When the volume of the gas changes from 8 mL to 24 mL, an increase of
16 mL (3 times the original volume), the pressure of the gas changes from
3.00 atm to 1.00 atm, which is a decrease of 2 atm (1/3 times the original
pressure).
Even though both pressure and volume change, their product always stays the
same. The volume of a gas sample times the pressure of that sample always equals a
constant k.
This law can be expressed using the mathematical expression shown below. If the
volume of the gas is represented by x and the pressure of the gas is represented
by y, then the product of x times y equals a constant, represented by k:

Volume (x) * Pressure (y) = Constant (k)

2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

4 Understanding Boyles Law

Computing the Pressure

1. Turn on the Voyage 200 PLT.
2. Select the CellSheet App and press .
3. Select 2:Open and or press .
4. Select the Variable option and press B to display the available AppVars.
5. Highlight the CellSheet AppVar Boyle and press twice.
Column A, labeled VOLUME (X), shows the
values for the volume (in milliliters) of a gas
in a closed container.
Column B, labeled PRESSURE (Y), shows the
corresponding pressure (in atmospheres or
atm) of the same gas.

Notice that most of the values in the Pressure column are missing. You will use
Boyles Law to determine these values.
6. Based on your understanding of Boyles Law, what do you think would be
the value for the pressure of the gas when the volume of the gas is 16 mL?
Round this value to the nearest 0.01 atm and follow the steps below to
record it in the spreadsheet.
a. Press the arrow keys as needed to highlight the cell in Column B, Row 7.
b. Key in your answer and press . If the value you entered is correct,
the TRY AGAIN message in Column C, Row 7 changes to CORRECT.
c. If the value you entered is incorrect, adjust your answer until the
CORRECT message appears.

Input your pressure

value here

When correct, the TRY

AGAIN messages changes
to CORRECT

7. For each missing value in Column B of the spreadsheet, determine the

appropriate gas pressure that corresponds with the given volume. Round
each answer to nearest 0.01 atm and record it in the spreadsheet.

2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

 Understanding Boyles Law 5

Calculating k
Boyles Law also states that the volume of a gas sample times the corresponding
pressure of that sample always equals a constant, k. If this statement is true and
the values you have entered into the CellSheet App are correct, we should be able
to multiply each value in Column A (VOLUME) by the corresponding value in Column
B (PRESSURE) and always get the value k. This can be expressed mathematically as,

Volume * Pressure = k

1. According to the Spreadsheet, when the volume of the gas is 12 mL, the
corresponding pressure of the gas is 2.00 atm. What is the value of k in this
instance? __________________

2. Calculate the value of k when the volume of the gas is 22 mL and the
corresponding pressure of the gas is 1.09 atm. ______________________
3. You can enter the above formula in Column D and let the CellSheet App
calculate the value of k for each set of volume and pressure values.
a. Move your cursor to cell D2.
b. Enter the formula =a2*b2 by pressing
p .
Next, copy and paste the formula into cells
d3 through d19:
c. With your cursor in cell D2, press
to copy the formula.
d. Press and select 2:Select Range.

e. Enter d3:d19 as the range, and press

twice.
f. Press to paste the formula into
the cells. The CellSheet App
automatically calculates the value for
each cell.

The value in each cell of Column D should be the same; if not, recalculate the
values.

2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

6 Understanding Boyles Law

Writing a Formula
1. Based on your understanding of Boyles Law, write a formula that represents
the value for any pressure at any measured volume of this gas sample.

Pressure = ________________________

2. Test your formula using the values for volume listed in cells A31 through A36
and your value for k.
a. Enter your value for k in cells B31 through B36.
b. Enter formula for pressure you wrote in Step 1 above into cells C31
through C36. The CellSheet App automatically calculates the value for
each cell when you paste in the formula.
(Refer to Step 3, page 3, if you need help entering and copying
the formula.)
3. Verify that your formula is correct by graphing the values calculated with
your formula.
a. Press . The PLOT MENU displays on the calculator screen.
b. Select 1. Plot Setup.
c. Enter a31:a36 for the xRange and
c31:c36 for the yRange.
d. Press twice. The PLOT SETUP
screen displays again.
e. Press .

Displayed is a data plot of your values for both volume (the x-axis) and pressure
(the y-axis). If you entered the formula for pressure correctly, your plot should
show that the pressure values decreased as the volume values increased. Your
data plot should be similar to the plot shown below:

Boyles Law
Pressure (y-axis)

Volume (x-axis)

2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

Data Collection and Analysis Name ___________________________

Boyles Law Date ___________________________

Questions
1. Write a formula that shows the relationship between two pressures of the
same gas. Hint: Combine the following two formulas into one formula:
(Volume 1 * Pressure 1) = k and (Volume 2 * Pressure 2) = k

2. A gas is placed in a closed system. The volume of the gas changes from
220 mL to 110 mL. The pressure of the gas at 220 mL was 0.11 atm. What is
the pressure of the gas at 110 mL?

3. The pressure exerted on a 520 mL sample of gas in a closed system is

increased from 2.00 atm to 10.0 atm. What is the volume of the gas at the
new pressure?

2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

Teacher Notes Objective
Investigate the relationship between gas
volume and pressure using Boyles Law

Determine the function that describes

the relationship between two gases and
Activity their respective pressures using Boyles
Law

NSES Standard
Boyles Law Physical Science: Structure and
properties of matter.

This activity is a simulation of research with gases that took place in England in the
1600s under the leadership of Robert Boyle. Boyle was the first prominent scientist
to perform controlled experiments and to publish his work with elaborate details
concerning procedure, apparatus and observations. He assembled what we would
call a "research group," developed a key piece of apparatusthe vacuum pump
and was instrumental in founding the Royal Society.
There is some controversy in naming the relationship after Boyle since much of the
work was actually performed by his assistant Robert Hooke; however, the
experimental concept originated with Boyle. Furthermore, Boyle was dedicated to
the idea of experimental proof of theories while Hooke felt that theories should
appeal to reason.
After completing this simulation the students should have a clear understanding of
the mathematical relationship between the volume of a gas and its pressure. As an
extension of this activity, the students could be given the opportunity to collect
actual data and compare their results with the results of the simulated activity.

2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

 Understanding Boyles Law 9

Computing the Pressure

7. The completed table from the CellSheet AppVar Boyle is shown below:

Volume (x) Pressure (y) Volume (x) Pressure (y)

(mL) (atm) (mL) (atm)

6 4.00 24 1.00
8 3.00 26 0.92
10 2.40 28 0.86
12 2.00 30 0.80
14 1.71 32 0.75
16 1.50 34 0.71
18 1.33 36 0.67
20 1.20 38 0.63
22 1.09 40 0.60

Calculating k
1. 24
2. 24
3. The value for k is a constant, and the value 24 should appear in each cell of
Column D.

Writing a Formula
1. Pressure = k / V or Pressure = k / x
Pressure = Constant (k) divided by Volume (x)

2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED

10 Understanding Boyles Law

Answers to Data Collection and Analysis Questions

1. Write a formula that shows the relationship between two pressures of the
same gas.
Hint: Combine the following two formulas into one formula:
(Volume 1 * Pressure 1) = k and (Volume 2 * Pressure 2) = k

[V1 * P1 = V2 * P2]

2. A gas is placed in a closed system. The volume of the gas changes from
220 mL to 110 mL. The pressure of the gas at 220 mL was 0.11 atm. What is
the pressure of the gas at 110 mL?

220 mL * 0.11 atm = 110 mL * P 2

P2 = 220 mL * 0.11 atm

110 mL
= 0.22 atm

3. The pressure exerted on a 520 mL sample of gas in a closed system is

increased from 2.00 atm to 10.0 atm. What is the volume of the gas at the
new pressure?

520 mL * 2.00 atm = V 2 * 10.0 atm

V2 = 520 mL * 2.00 atm

10.0 atm
= 104 mL

2002 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED