Boyle's Law

Course:
Chemistry

For a gas, pressure and volume are inversely proportional. If you keep everything else constant, then as the pressure on a gas goes up, its volume goes down. As the volume a gas occupies goes up, its pressure goes down. Robert Boyle stated the inverse relationship between pressure and volume as a Gas Law. Boyle’s Law says that for a given amount of gas, at fixed temperature, pressure and volume are inversely proportional. P ∝ 1/V. You can write this mathematically as P = k/V

Introduction

For a gas, pressure and volume are inversely proportional. If you keep everything else constant, then as the pressure on a gas goes up, its volume goes down.  As the volume a gas occupies goes up, its pressure goes down.

Robert Boyle stated the inverse relationship between pressure and volume as a Gas Law.  Boyle’s Law says that for a given amount of gas, at fixed temperature, pressure and volume are inversely proportional. You can write this mathematically as

P ∝  1/V  or  P = k/V, where k is a proportionality constant

This video includes two example problems worked in full. If you need more practice for a test, we have a Gas Laws Practice Test available for purchase.

Video: Boyle’s Law

Handout: Video Notes Worksheet

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Full-length Practice Tests with Answer Keys