Boyle's Law Explained

In 1662, Robert Boyle discovered that when held at a

constant temperature, the volume and pressure of a gas
are inversely proportionate. Put simply, when the volume
goes up, pressure drops, and vice versa.
The mathematic equation is equally as
simple: PV=K where P=Pressure, V=Volume, and K is
simply a constant.
This has become a basic principle in chemistry, now
called "Boyle's law" and is included as a special case
into the more general ideal gas law.
In the mid 1600's, Robert Boyle studied the relationship
between the pressure p and the volume V of a confined
gas held at a constant temperature. Boyle observed that
the product of the pressure and volume are observed to
be nearly constant. The product of pressure and volume
is exactly a constant for an ideal gas.

Boyle's Experiment
Some of the earliest quantitative measurements were
performed on gases. One early study was conducted by
Robert Boyle in 1662.
Robert Boyle employed a J-shaped piece of glass tubing
that was sealed on one end. A gas (air) was trapped in
the sealed end of the tube and varying amounts of
mercury were added to the J-shaped tube to vary the
pressure of the system. Boyle systematically varied the
pressure and measured the volume of the gas. These
measurements were performed using a fixed amount of
gas and a constant temperature. In this way Boyle was
able to examine the pressure-volume relationship
without complications from other factors such as
changes in temperature or amount of gas.
The manometer that was employed in the previous
experiment can also be used to perform Boyle's
experiment. A small amount of air is trapped in the
sealed end of the manometer. The scale that is used to
read the height of a column of mercury can also be used
to read the height of the column of air. (You will need to
estimate the position of the top of the tube, which is
curved.) The inside diameter of the tube, 4.286 cm, and
the height of the column of air can be used to calculated
the volume of air.
The pressure of the gas will be varied in exactly the
same manner as Robert Boyle varied the pressure:
mercury will be added or removed from the open end of
the manometer. After changing the pressure (by
changing the amount of mercury in the manometer), the
pressure and volume are recorded.

Examples in Real Life

While there are a couple different types of aerosol cans,

You have probably been well acquainted with Boyle's

one being a little more elaborate than the other, they

law for most of your life, and haven't even realized it. We

both operate off of the same basic principle: Boyle's law.

experience examples of it on a regular basis. Several

We'll examine the more elaborate of the two, since it's

times a day, we might use it as a tool, while we also

far more popular.

sometimes recognize it as a killer.

We know that before you spray a can of paint you are

Ever filled up a tire? You will generally fill it to

supposed to shake it up for a while, listening as a ball

somewhere between 30-35 PSI(Pounds per square

bearing rattles around inside. There are two substances

inch). This is a measurement of pressure. As you put

inside the can, one being your product (paint for

more and more air into the tire, you are forcing all the

example), and the other being a gas that can be

gas molecules to get packed together, reducing their

pressurized so much that it retains a liquid state even

volume. As long as the air temperature remains the

when it is heated past its boiling point. This liquefied gas

same, you are experiencing a real life example of this

will be a substance that has a boiling point far below

law as you watch your PSI change.

room temperature. The can is sealed, preventing this

gas from boiling and turning into a gaseous state. That
is, until you push down the nozzle. The moment the
nozzle goes down, and the seal is released, there is now
an escape route. The propellant instantly boils and
expands into a gas and pushes down on the product
trying to escape the high pressure, and expand it's
volume the atmosphere where there is less pressure.
This forces the product to shoot out from the nozzle, and

The bubbles exhaled by a scuba diver grow as

the approach the surface of the ocean. (The pressure
exerted by the weight of the water decreases with depth,
so the volume of the bubbles increases as they rise.)

you have a coat of paint.

Read on for more examples.

The Syringe
This is far more simple than a can of spray paint.
Syringes of all types utilize Boyle's law on a very basic
level.
When you pull the plunger out on a syringe, it causes the
volume within the chamber to increase. As we know, this
causes the pressure to do the opposite, which then
Spray Paint

creates a vacuum attempting to re-pressurize back to

atmospheric levels. Since the only fluid available on the

The Soda Can

other side of the needle tends to be a liquid such as

Typically we will take a bottle of soda, slowly turning the

blood, which gets sucked into the chamber. This then

cap allowing the air to gradually escape before

reduces the volume and increases the pressure back to

completely removing the lid. We do this because we've

where it wants to be.

learned over time that popping it open too fast causes it

to fizz up and spill all over you and everything around
you.
Carbonation is exactly what it sounds like. Water is
pumped full of carbon dioxide, causing it to bubble up as
the CO2 makes its escape. Throw some syrup into the
mix, and you have soda pop. When a soda bottle is
filled, it is also pressurized. Much like the aerosol can
mentioned earlier, when you slowly open the cap, the
gas is suddenly able to increase its volume in order to
decrease the pressure. Since the soda itself is
carbonized, the CO2 gasses decide they want to escape
as well, and you have your fizz.
All is fine and dandy, until you shake the bottle up.
Shaking up the bottle causes that neat pocket of carbon
dioxide gas in the top to mix in with the soda. Now, pop
the cap off. Suddenly all of these excess gas bubbles
within the soda want to expand and escape their high
pressure environment as well. Rather than being able to
expand and shoot out of that neat pocket of air with a
"pffffffft," they expand while they're still in the soda. As it
tries to muscle its way out, it pushes the soda along with.
Pressure in the bottle goes down, volume of the gas
goes up, and you have yourself a mess to clean up.