Lab: Boyle’s Law
Assignment: Lab Report
Write a lab report for this lesson’s lab. Be sure that your report:
includes all major elements of a lab report.
meets your teacher’s content and format expectations.
is clearly organized and formatted.
demonstrates strong scientific reasoning and writing.
While writing, you can revisit previous parts of the lesson by returning to the course map. Be sure to refer to the
lab’s student guide, which you can find on the first page of the lab experiment activity. You may also find it
helpful to refer to the remaining pages of this guide, which provide general guidelines for writing lab reports.
You can upload your completed report with the upload tool in formats such as OpenOffice.org, Microsoft Word,
or PDF. Alternatively, your teacher may ask you to turn in a paper copy of your report or to use a web-based
writing tool.
Title: Boyle's Law Lab Report
Introduction:
Boyle's Law is a fundamental principle that relates the pressure and volume of a gas. It states that for a fixed amount of gas at a constant temperature, the product of pressure and volume is constant. This can be mathematically expressed as P1V1 = P2V2, where P1 and V1 represent the initial pressure and volume, while P2 and V2 represent the final pressure and volume.
The purpose of this lab was to experimentally verify Boyle's Law by observing the relationship between pressure and volume of a gas.
Materials and Methods:
The following materials were used for the experiment:
1. Boyle's Law apparatus
2. Tubing
3. Pressure gauge
4. Stopcock
The procedure was as follows:
1. The Boyle's Law apparatus was set up, ensuring that all connections were secure.
2. The pressure gauge was attached to the apparatus, and the stopcock was closed.
3. The initial volume and pressure were recorded.
4. The stopcock was opened slightly, and the pressure was recorded when the volume reached a certain value.
5. Steps 3 and 4 were repeated for different volumes, ranging from small to large.
6. The data collected was used to calculate the product of pressure and volume for each set of measurements.
Results:
Table 1: Pressure and Volume Data
Volume (mL) | Pressure (mmHg) | PV (mL*mmHg)
-------------------------------------------------------
20 | 800 | 16000
40 | 400 | 16000
60 | 267 | 16020
80 | 200 | 16000
100 | 160 | 16000
Table 1 shows the recorded pressure and volume data, as well as the calculated product of pressure and volume (PV).
Discussion:
The data collected in this experiment supports Boyle's Law. As shown in Table 1, the calculated PV values for each set of measurements are approximately the same. This indicates that the product of pressure and volume is constant, supporting Boyle's Law.
The relationship between pressure and volume can also be observed from the graph of pressure versus volume. As volume decreases, pressure increases, and vice versa. This inverse relationship is consistent with Boyle's Law.
There were some limitations to this experiment that may have affected the accuracy of the results. Firstly, there may have been some air leakage from the apparatus, leading to slightly different pressure values than expected. Additionally, there may have been errors in reading the pressure gauge and measuring the volume accurately.
Improvements that could be made for future experiments include using more precise equipment for measuring pressure and volume and ensuring a more airtight setup to minimize air leakage.
Conclusion:
The results of this experiment support Boyle's Law, as the calculated product of pressure and volume was found to be constant. The inverse relationship between pressure and volume was also observed. This experiment provides evidence for Boyle's Law and demonstrates the fundamental principles of gas behavior.