Question

Amy measured the tire pressure of her truck that was parked outside after a cold night. The daytime temperature reached a nice 65 °F. Assume Amy's tires do not have any leaks. Explain the change in tire pressure.

6 A.M. - 30 PSI
9 A.M. - 32 PSI
1 P.M. - 35 PSI


A) The air molecules heated inside the tire causing them to move faster exerting more pressure on the inside walls of the tires.


B) The air molecules heated inside the tire causing them to move faster exerting less pressure on the inside walls of the tires.


C) The air molecules heated inside the tire causing them to move slower exerting more pressure on the inside walls of the tires.


D) The air molecules heated inside the tire causing them to move slower exerting less pressure on the inside walls of the tires.

Answer 1

The answer is A) The air molecules heated inside the tire causing them to move faster exerting more pressure on the inside walls of the tires.

Answer 2

Answer: A) The air molecules heated inside the tire causing them to move faster exerting more pressure on the inside walls of the tires.

Step-by-step explanation: Gay-Lussac's Law: This law states that pressure is directly proportional to the temperature of the gas at constant volume and number of moles.

`P\propto T` (At constant volume and number of moles)

Thus in a tire whose volume and number of molecules is fixed, the temperature is increased, the air molecules will heat and the kinetic energy of the molecules increase. The molecules start moving faster and will collide faster with walls thus exerting greater pressure on the walls of the tires.