Question

Using the three gas laws (Gay-Lussac's, Boyle's Law, and Charles' Law), explain why putting a "flat" basketball in the trunk of a car for a few hours in summer would cause it to no longer be "flat." What processes are happening at the visible and invisible level?

Answer 1

When a basketball is left in a hot car, the temperature inside the car increases. According to Charles's Law, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature. As the temperature increases, the volume of the air inside the basketball also increases, causing it to expand and no longer be 'flat'.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a basketball is left in the trunk of a car on a hot summer day, the temperature inside the trunk increases. According to Charles's Law, at constant pressure, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature. As the temperature increases, the volume of the air inside the basketball also increases, causing it to expand and no longer be 'flat'.

At the visible level, you would notice that the basketball becomes rounder and takes on its original shape. At the invisible level, the air molecules inside the basketball gain kinetic energy as the temperature rises. This increase in kinetic energy causes the molecules to move more quickly and spread out, increasing the volume of the gas and expanding the basketball.