Question

A mass of air occupies a volume of 5.7 L at a pressure of 0.52 atm. What is the new pressure if the same mass of air at the same temperature is transferred to a 2.0 L container?

Answer 1

Apply Boyle's law:

PV = const.

P = pressure, V = volume, the product of P and V must stay constant

Our initial P and V values are:

P = 0.52atm, V = 5.7L

Our final P and V values are:

P = ?, V = 2.0L

Set the products of each set of PV values equal to each other and solve for the final P:

P(2.0) = 0.52(5.7)

P = 1.48atm