Name: Lilyth Lerma Date: 12/19/24
Student Exploration: Boyle’s Law and Charles’s Law
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: absolute zero, Boyle’s law, Charles’s 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?
They add more mass which compresses the helium into a tiny space. Mass or Pressure
Gizmo Warm-up
The Boyle’s Law and Charles’s Law Gizmo shows a container of gas. Inside, small purple spheres represent
gas molecules.
1. Observe the particles. Are they all moving at the same speed?
no
2. How do the particles interact with the walls and lid of the container?
It bounces off the walls and lid of the container and themselves.
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).
2. 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?
The higher the temperature the faster the particles move.
B. How does the change in temperature affect the volume of the container?
The higher the temp the more open it is.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
, Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
● 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 lid will compress the particles and they will move faster.
2. Notice: Look at the DESCRIPTION pane. What is the mass of the lid? 10kg
How much pressure does the lid exert on the gas? 91.1 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 98.1 2.54
10 kg 20 kg 196.2 1.27
20 kg 30 kg 294.3 0.85
30 kg 40 kg 392.4 0.64
*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?
Decreases
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?
Decreased
B. How did tripling the pressure change the gas volume?
Decreased
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
Student Exploration: Boyle’s Law and Charles’s Law
Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.
Vocabulary: absolute zero, Boyle’s law, Charles’s 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?
They add more mass which compresses the helium into a tiny space. Mass or Pressure
Gizmo Warm-up
The Boyle’s Law and Charles’s Law Gizmo shows a container of gas. Inside, small purple spheres represent
gas molecules.
1. Observe the particles. Are they all moving at the same speed?
no
2. How do the particles interact with the walls and lid of the container?
It bounces off the walls and lid of the container and themselves.
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).
2. 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?
The higher the temperature the faster the particles move.
B. How does the change in temperature affect the volume of the container?
The higher the temp the more open it is.
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
, Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
● 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 lid will compress the particles and they will move faster.
2. Notice: Look at the DESCRIPTION pane. What is the mass of the lid? 10kg
How much pressure does the lid exert on the gas? 91.1 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 98.1 2.54
10 kg 20 kg 196.2 1.27
20 kg 30 kg 294.3 0.85
30 kg 40 kg 392.4 0.64
*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?
Decreases
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?
Decreased
B. How did tripling the pressure change the gas volume?
Decreased
Reproduction for educational use only. Public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 ExploreLearning™ All rights reserved
