Final answer:
According to Boyle's Law, the volume of a gas is inversely proportional to its pressure at constant temperature and moles of gas. In this scenario with a helium balloon, when the pressure reduces from 1 atmosphere to 0.25 atmospheres, the volume increases from 3.8 L to 15.2 L.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of the question is related to the behavior of gases under different pressures and is governed by Boyle's Law, which states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume when the temperature and the number of moles of gas remain constant. In this case, we have a balloon that initially contains 3.8 L of helium at 1 atmosphere of pressure. According to Boyle's Law, if the pressure decreases to 0.25 atmospheres at constant temperature and moles of gas, the volume of the gas would increase correspondingly.
To find the new volume, we use the formula P1 * V1 = P2 * V2, where P1 and V1 are the initial pressure and volume, and P2 and V2 are the final pressure and volume. Plugging in our values:
1 atm * 3.8 L = 0.25 atm * V2
Solving for V2 gives us:
V2 = (1 atm * 3.8 L) / 0.25 atm = 15.2 L
Therefore, the correct answer is C. 15.2 L.