Consider the procedures in a simple experiment used to demonstrate the behavior of gases.
1. Remove the end cap from the tip of a 35-mL plastic syringe.
2. Remove plunger from the syringe and insert a balloon into the syringe.
3. Place plunger back in syringe so the volume reading is approximately at the 15-mL mark.
4. Using a finger, seal the the syringe.
5. Pull the plunger out.
Select ALL of the statements that help to explain what occurs once the plunger is pulled out.
Responses
A The pressure inside the balloon increases.The pressure inside the balloon increases.
B The pressure inside the syringe chamber decreases.The pressure inside the syringe chamber decreases.
C The lower pressure on the balloon causes its volume to increase.The lower pressure on the balloon causes its volume to increase.
D When the syringe plunger is pulled out, the amount of gas increases.When the syringe plunger is pulled out, the amount of gas increases.
E When the syringe plunger is pulled out, the volume of the chamber increases
B The pressure inside the syringe chamber decreases.
C The lower pressure on the balloon causes its volume to increase.
D When the syringe plunger is pulled out, the amount of gas increases.
E When the syringe plunger is pulled out, the volume of the chamber increases
The correct statements that help explain what occurs once the plunger is pulled out are:
B. The pressure inside the syringe chamber decreases.
C. The lower pressure on the balloon causes its volume to increase.
E. When the syringe plunger is pulled out, the volume of the chamber increases.
To understand the behavior of gases in this experiment, we can observe the following:
- When the plunger is pulled out, the volume inside the syringe chamber increases. This is because the space available for the gas inside the chamber expands when the plunger is moved away.
- As the volume of the chamber increases, the pressure inside the chamber decreases. This is due to the gas molecules spreading out over a larger area, resulting in a lower frequency of collisions with the walls of the chamber.
- The lower pressure on the balloon causes its volume to increase. This happens because the gas particles inside the balloon move to occupy the larger available volume when the pressure on them decreases.
- The amount of gas remains constant during this process. No gas is added or removed from the system; it is simply being redistributed within the larger chamber and balloon.
Therefore, statements B, C, and E correctly explain the changes that occur as the plunger is pulled out in this experiment.
A The pressure inside the balloon increases.
B The pressure inside the syringe chamber decreases.
C The lower pressure on the balloon causes its volume to increase.
E When the syringe plunger is pulled out, the volume of the chamber increases.