Materials

Large plastic syringe (without a

needle)
Large marshmallow
Felt-tip pen

Procedure
1.Draw a face on one side of the
marshmallow and place it in the
plastic syringe so the face can be
seen from the side.

Procedure
2. Place your thumb over the end of
the syringe where the needle is
usually located. Holding your thumb in
place, push in the plunger. Observe
what happens to the marshmallow as
you do so.

Procedure
3. With your thumb still in place, pull the
plunger out and observe what happens.

Marshmallows have bubbles of

trapped inside. What happened to
marshmallow when you pushed in
plunger? What happened when
plunger was pulled out?

air
the
the
the

Boyles Law

Who is Robert Boyle???

Pressure
is the force per unit area

Volume
the
amount
of
occupied by matter

space

Boyles Law
Formula:

Calculation with Boyles Law

Freon-12, CCl2F2, is used in refrigeration systems.
What is the new volume (L) of 8.0 L sample of
Freon gas initially at 550 mm Hg after its pressure
is changed to 2200 mm Hg at constant T?
1. Set up a data table:
Conditions 1
Conditions 2
P1
= 550 mm Hg
P2
Hg
?
V1
= 8.0 L
V2 =

= 2200 mm

14

2. When pressure increases, volume decreases.

Solve Boyles Law for V2:
P1V1 = P2V2
V2
V2

= V1 x P1
P2
= 8.0 L x 550 mm Hg =
2200 mm Hg

pressure ratio
decreases volume

2.0 L

For a cylinder containing helium gas indicate if

cylinder A or cylinder B represents the new volume
for the following changes (n and T are constant).
1) pressure decreases
2) pressure increases

A sample of oxygen gas has a volume

of 12.0 L at 600 mm Hg. What is the
new pressure when the volume
changes to 36.0 L? (T and n
constant).
1) 200 mm Hg

1) 200 mm Hg
Data table
Conditions 1
Conditions 2
P1 = 600 mm Hg
P2
= ???
V1
= 12.0 L
V2
= 36.0 L
P2 = P1 x

V1
V2
600 mm Hg x 12.0 L = 200 mm Hg
36.0 L

When your VOLUME of troubles go UP,

dont let the PRESSURE bring you DOWN