Question #aa424

1 Answer
Jan 22, 2016

You rearrange the equation to isolate the missing variable and solve. You do not cross multiply.

Explanation:

Example
You are given the following information about a gas: #V_1="25 L"#; #T_1="350 K"#; #T_2="270 K"#. What is the new volume #(V_2)#?

Equation
#V_1/T_1=V_2/T_2#

Solution
Rearrange the equation to isolate #V_2#, substitute the given values, and solve.

#V_1/T_1=V_2/T_2#

Multiply both sides by #T_2# in order to isolate #V_2#.

#V_1/T_1(T_2)=V_2/cancelT_2(cancelT_2)#

#V_2=(V_1T_2)/T_1#

#V_2=((25"L")xx(270cancel"K"))/(350cancel"K")#

#V_2="19 L"#

Notice that there was no cross multiplying. Instead, both sides of the equation were multiplied times #T_2#, which cancelled it out on the #V_2# side and multiplied it times #V_1# on the other side.