As the pressure of an enclosed gas decreases to half its original value, what happens to the volume of the gas if temperature is held constant? a The volume increases to four times its original value. b The volume decreases to half of its original value. c The volume increases to twice its original value. d The volume decreases to one-fourth of its original value.
According to Boyle's Law, the volume of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure when temperature is held constant. Therefore, when the pressure of an enclosed gas decreases to half its original value, the volume of the gas will increase to twice its original value.
The correct answer is: c The volume increases to twice its original value.
According to Boyle's Law, if the pressure of a gas decreases while the temperature is held constant, the volume of the gas will increase.
Therefore, the correct option is:
c) The volume increases to twice its original value.
To answer this question, we need to understand the relationship between pressure and volume in a gas. This relationship is described by Boyle's Law, which states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume when the temperature is held constant. Mathematically, this can be expressed as:
P1 * V1 = P2 * V2
Where P1 is the initial pressure, V1 is the initial volume, P2 is the final pressure, and V2 is the final volume.
According to the question, the pressure decreases to half its original value while the temperature remains constant. Let's assign P1 as the initial pressure and P2 as the final pressure, where P2 = P1/2.
Now, let's consider the relationship between volume and pressure. Since the temperature is held constant, we can rewrite Boyle's Law as:
P1 * V1 = (P1/2) * V2
Dividing both sides by P1:
V1 = (1/2) * V2
This equation tells us that the initial volume (V1) is equal to half of the final volume (V2).
Therefore, the correct answer is option c: The volume increases to twice its original value.