Question

If the pressure on a gas is decreased by one-half, how large will the volume change be?

Answer 1

The volume will increase by a factor of `2`.

Explanation:

Boyle's Law states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume, assuming that all other variables are constant.

Modeled by the equation: `P_"1"V_"1"=P_"2"V_"2"`

where:

• `P` is the pressure in whatever units you desire. The units must be used consistently. I prefer atmospheric pressure .

• `V` is the volume of the gas in whatever units you desire. The units must be used consistently. I prefer litres.

• the subscripts `1` and `2` are before and after the change, respectively.

Due to the inverse proportion of the pressure of the gas and its volume, if the pressure was decreased to `1/2` of what it was, that results in the volume increasing by a factor of `2`.

Hope this helps :)