Boyle’s law states that if you squeeze a fixed amount of a gas into a
smaller volume, the pressure will increase. Explain why?
To understand why Boyle's law states that squeezing a fixed amount of gas into a smaller volume increases the pressure, we need to look at the behavior of gas molecules.
Gas molecules are in constant random motion and exert pressure when they collide with the walls of their container. When the volume of the container decreases, the gas molecules have less space to move around. As a result, they collide with the container walls more frequently and with a greater force.
From a mathematical perspective, Boyle's law can be expressed as P₁V₁ = P₂V₂, where P₁ is the initial pressure, V₁ is the initial volume, P₂ is the final pressure, and V₂ is the final volume. Since the amount of gas (moles of gas) remains constant in this scenario, we can analyze the relationship between pressure and volume.
When the volume decreases (V₂ < V₁), according to Boyle's law, the pressure must increase (P₂ > P₁) to maintain the equation's equality. This is because the gas molecules are confined to a smaller space, resulting in more frequent and forceful collisions with the container walls, thus increasing the pressure.
So, by squeezing a fixed amount of gas into a smaller volume, we are reducing the space available for the gas molecules to move, leading to an increase in pressure.