Boyle's Law states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume when temperature is held constant. Mathematically, this relationship can be expressed as:
[tex]\(P_1 \times V_1 = P_2 \times V_2\)[/tex],
where:
- [tex]\(P_1\)[/tex] is the initial pressure,
- [tex]\(V_1\)[/tex] is the initial volume,
- [tex]\(P_2\)[/tex] is the final pressure,
- [tex]\(V_2\)[/tex] is the final volume.
Another expression of Boyle's Law is:
[tex]\(P \times V = k\)[/tex],
where:
- [tex]\(P\)[/tex] is the pressure of the gas,
- [tex]\(V\)[/tex] is the volume of the gas,
- [tex]\(k\)[/tex] is a constant value when the temperature remains constant.
This expression emphasizes that the pressure and volume of a gas are inversely proportional to each other when the temperature is constant. As the pressure on a gas increases, its volume decreases proportionally to maintain the constant value of [tex]\(k\)[/tex]. Conversely, if the pressure decreases, the volume of the gas increases to keep the product of pressure and volume constant.
