If the pressure on a gas is decreased by one-half, how large will the volume change be?

Question

Caleb Adams · Accepted Answer

The volume will increase by a factor of #2#.

Boyle's Law states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume, assuming that all other variables are constant.

Modeled by the equation: #P_"1"V_"1"=P_"2"V_"2"#

where:

#P# is the pressure in whatever units you desire. The units must be used consistently. I prefer atmospheric pressure .

#V# is the volume of the gas in whatever units you desire. The units must be used consistently. I prefer litres.
the subscripts #1# and #2# are before and after the change, respectively.

Due to the inverse proportion of the pressure of the gas and its volume, if the pressure was decreased to #1/2# of what it was, that results in the volume increasing by a factor of #2#.

Hope this helps :)

Xavier Avery · Answer

undefined According to Boyle's Law, the volume of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure when temperature is constant. Therefore, if the pressure on a gas is decreased by one-half, the volume of the gas will double.