STUDENT EXPLORATION: BOYLE’S LAW AND CHARLES’S LAW GIZMO
(ALL ANSWERS ARE 100% CORRECT)|LATEST UPDATE 2023-2024
Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Boyle’s Law and Charles’ Law
Vocabulary: absolute zero, Boyle’s law, Charles’ law, Gay-Lussac’s law, Kelvin scale, pressure
Prior Knowledge Question (Do this BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
A small helium tank measures about two feet (60 cm) high. Yet it can fill over 50 balloons! How
can such a small tank contain enough helium to fill so many balloons?
The balloons don’t need a lot of helium, a small container can hold a lot of helium.
Gizmo Warm-up
The Boyle’s Law and Charles’ Law Gizmo™ shows a
container of gas. In the container, the small purple spheres
represent molecules.
1. Observe the particles. Are they all moving at the same
speed? No, some move faster and others move slower
2. How do the particles interact with the walls and lid of the container? They bounce off the
walls and lid of the container.
These interactions contribute to the pressure on the walls of the container. Pressure is
defined as force per unit area. The SI units of pressure are newtons per square meter
(N/m2), or pascals (Pa).
3. Slowly drag the temperature (T) slider back and forth. (Note: In this Gizmo, the Kelvin scale
is used to measure temperature. On the Kelvin scale, 0 degrees is absolute zero, the
coldest possible temperature. Absolute zero is equal to -273.15 °C or -459.67 °F)
A. How does the change in temperature affect the speed of the molecules? Higher
temperature, faster speed. Lower temperature, slower speed.
B. How does the change in temperature affect the volume of the container? Higher
temperature, higher volume. Lower temperature, less volume.
, Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A:
• Set the temperature (T) to 300 K.
Boyle’s law
• Check that the mass (m) is set to 0 kg.
Question: How does pressure affect the volume of a gas?
1. Form hypothesis: In this experiment, you will pile weights on the lid of the container of gas.
What do you think will happen as more weight is added to the lid?
The volume will be less and the speed will be slower.
2. Notice: Look at the DESCRIPTION pane. What is the mass of the lid? 10 kg
How much pressure does the lid exert on the gas? 98.1 N/m2
3. Collect data: With the temperature held constant at 300 K, use the Select mass slider to
place weights on the lid. Record the pressure and volume of the gas for each added mass.
Added mass Total mass
Pressure* Volume
on the lid (lid + added mass)
0 kg 10 kg
10 kg 20 kg
20 kg 30 kg
30 kg 40 kg
*This model does not include atmospheric pressure, which is 101,325 N/m2.
4. Analyze: As the pressure increases at constant temperature, what happens to the volume of
the gas?
This relationship is called Boyle’s law.
5. Calculate: Compare the pressure and volume values in your data table.
A. How did doubling the pressure change the gas volume?
B. How did tripling the pressure change the gas volume?
, C. How did quadrupling the pressure change the gas volume?
(Activity A continued on next page)
(ALL ANSWERS ARE 100% CORRECT)|LATEST UPDATE 2023-2024
Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Boyle’s Law and Charles’ Law
Vocabulary: absolute zero, Boyle’s law, Charles’ law, Gay-Lussac’s law, Kelvin scale, pressure
Prior Knowledge Question (Do this BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
A small helium tank measures about two feet (60 cm) high. Yet it can fill over 50 balloons! How
can such a small tank contain enough helium to fill so many balloons?
The balloons don’t need a lot of helium, a small container can hold a lot of helium.
Gizmo Warm-up
The Boyle’s Law and Charles’ Law Gizmo™ shows a
container of gas. In the container, the small purple spheres
represent molecules.
1. Observe the particles. Are they all moving at the same
speed? No, some move faster and others move slower
2. How do the particles interact with the walls and lid of the container? They bounce off the
walls and lid of the container.
These interactions contribute to the pressure on the walls of the container. Pressure is
defined as force per unit area. The SI units of pressure are newtons per square meter
(N/m2), or pascals (Pa).
3. Slowly drag the temperature (T) slider back and forth. (Note: In this Gizmo, the Kelvin scale
is used to measure temperature. On the Kelvin scale, 0 degrees is absolute zero, the
coldest possible temperature. Absolute zero is equal to -273.15 °C or -459.67 °F)
A. How does the change in temperature affect the speed of the molecules? Higher
temperature, faster speed. Lower temperature, slower speed.
B. How does the change in temperature affect the volume of the container? Higher
temperature, higher volume. Lower temperature, less volume.
, Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity A:
• Set the temperature (T) to 300 K.
Boyle’s law
• Check that the mass (m) is set to 0 kg.
Question: How does pressure affect the volume of a gas?
1. Form hypothesis: In this experiment, you will pile weights on the lid of the container of gas.
What do you think will happen as more weight is added to the lid?
The volume will be less and the speed will be slower.
2. Notice: Look at the DESCRIPTION pane. What is the mass of the lid? 10 kg
How much pressure does the lid exert on the gas? 98.1 N/m2
3. Collect data: With the temperature held constant at 300 K, use the Select mass slider to
place weights on the lid. Record the pressure and volume of the gas for each added mass.
Added mass Total mass
Pressure* Volume
on the lid (lid + added mass)
0 kg 10 kg
10 kg 20 kg
20 kg 30 kg
30 kg 40 kg
*This model does not include atmospheric pressure, which is 101,325 N/m2.
4. Analyze: As the pressure increases at constant temperature, what happens to the volume of
the gas?
This relationship is called Boyle’s law.
5. Calculate: Compare the pressure and volume values in your data table.
A. How did doubling the pressure change the gas volume?
B. How did tripling the pressure change the gas volume?
, C. How did quadrupling the pressure change the gas volume?
(Activity A continued on next page)
