Name: ___________________________________

Partner: ______________

Quantitatively Proving Boyles and

Charles Laws
Learning Objective: Students will be able to prove the validity of Boyles law and
Charles law by data collection and graph analysis.
Concept: At a constant temperature, the temperature variable (T) drops out of the
combined gas law and you are left with the following equation, which is commonly
known as Boyles law:
P1V1 = P2V2
Boyles law shows the inverse relationship between pressure and volume. As pressure
increases, volume must decrease or vice versa.
Materials: A syringe, a syringe cap, both wooden block attachments, and several
identical books.
Procedure:
1) Open the Boyles law kit and retrieve the
syringe. Loosen the plunger by twisting gently
until it pops out.
2) Place the bottom portion of the wooden block attachment firmly on a level table and
hook the top portion of the wooden block attachment to the plunger.
3) Push all of the air out of the syringe, and then quickly fill the syringe with
approximately 50 mL of air.
4) Firmly place the syringe cap on the bottom of the barrel. DO NOT LOSE OR PLAY
WITH THE SYRINGE CAP.
5) Firmly press the syringe into the bottom portion of the wooden block attachment so
that it is level. If the plunger moves away from 50 mL do not worry, it will not interfere
with your experiment.
Mr. Saucedo 1.

Chemistry

6) Take an initial volume reading of your syringe.

7) Place 1 book on top of the upper wooden block attachment. Our unit of pressure is
going to be 1 Book. (Inventive, right?). Now, take another volume reading.
8) Add a second book. Take another volume reading.
9) Add a third book. Take another volume reading.
10) If possible add a fourth book and take a final reading.
11) Remove all books, take the syringe out of the wooden block, and remove the syringe
cap. Reset the experiment and repeat it all again for a second trial.
Data Tables: Fill in the following information from each trial below.
Number of Books

Trial #1 Volume in mL

Trial #2 Volume in mL

1
2
3
4
Graph: Construct a graph of Volume (in mL) on the y-axis, versus Pressure (in Books)
on the x-axis. Fit your data from both trials of the experiment on one graph, but use two
different colors to plot the points from each trial. Then draw a smoothed curve/line
through each set of data points. Dont merely connect the dots.
Boyles Law: Graph of Volume in mL versus Pressure in Books

Mr. Saucedo 2.

Chemistry

01. What is the shape of the graph above? Explain how the shape of the graph is
consistent or inconsistent with an inverse relationship.
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02. How or what could you do in this to maximize and improve your results?
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03. Did both of your trials give identical data? If so, what variables were you controlling?
If not, what are two reasons that your trials may have been different?

Mr. Saucedo 3.

Chemistry

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04 A piston is filled with 10 Liters of air at a pressure of 1400 mm of Hg. If the piston
were moved to sea level, what would the volume be? (Show your work and include
units).

Concept: At a constant pressure, the pressure variable (P) drops out of the combined
gas law and you are left with the following equation, which is commonly known as
Charless law:
V1 V2
=
T1 T2

Charless Law shows a direct relationship between volume and temperature. If

temperature increases, then volume also increases and vice versa.
Materials: A single balloon, some string/yarn, a ruler/yardstick, three thermometers,
three beakers of water, ice, a Bunsen burner, an iron ring stand, iron ring, and lighter.

Mr. Saucedo 4.

Chemistry

Procedure:
Thermometer

1) Gather 3 beakers that are identical in

size and fill each beaker half way with
water (Example: for a 500mL beaker, you
would fill it with 250mL of water).
2) Label the 3 beakers using sharpie or
erasable marker as follows: Cold Beaker,
Room Temperature, and Hot Beaker.

Iron
Ring
Stand

3) Assemble the apparatus as pictured to

the right, and place your beaker labeled
Hot Beaker on the Iron Ring Stand. DO
NOT LIGHT THE BUNSEN BURNER
YET.

Beaker of H2O
Iron
Ring
Stand
Bunsen Burner

4) Put a handful of ice in the beaker

labeled Cold Beaker and place a thermometer in the water.
5) Slightly blow up a balloon, making sure that its circumference can easily fit in the size
beakers that you chose earlier. Dont tie the balloon until you are certain that your
balloon will easily fit in your beakers!!!
6) Place a thermometer in the beaker labeled Room Temperature and take a
temperature reading. Remember ALL temperature must be converted from Celsius
to Kelvin!!!
K = C + 273.15
7) Submerge the balloon in the beaker labeled Room Temperature for one minute.
8) After a minute quickly measure the circumference of the balloon in centimeters at
its widest point using a piece of string and a ruler to help you.
9) Calculate the radius (r) of the balloon using the formula:
r=

Mr. Saucedo 5.

Chemistry

C
2

10) Using the radius (r) in Step 9 calculates the volume (V) of the gas using the formula:
V=

4
r3
3

11) Record both the temperature and volume in a data table.

12) Repeat steps 6-11, but with the beaker labeled Cold Beaker. The gas in the
balloon will start to expand the second that it is removed from the ice and water, so
quickly measure the circumference!!
13) Light your Bunsen burner and wait for the water to get to approximately 60C, then
submerge your balloon in the water. BE CAREFUL THE WATER AND BALLOON WILL
BE HOT.
14) Repeat steps 8-11. Again quickly take your measurement!! Also, if the balloon
becomes stuck use the circumference of the beaker as your measurement.
15) Turn off the Bunsen burner. Do not handle the beaker labeled Hot Beaker until it
has cooled or unless you are using a hot hand protector.
Data Table:
Beaker

Circumference
(in cm)

Room
Temperature
Cold Beaker

Hot Beaker

Mr. Saucedo 6.

Chemistry

Radius (in cm)

Volume (in cm3)

Temperature (in
K)

Graph: Using the graph paper below, construct a graph of Volume (in cm 3) on the yaxis, versus Temperature (in Kelvin) on the x-axis.
Charless Law: Graph of Volume in cm3 versus Temperature in Kelvin

Mr. Saucedo 7.

Chemistry

01. What is the shape of the graph above? Explain how the shape of the graph is
consistent or inconsistent with a direct relationship.
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02. Why must all temperature readings in this lab be made in Kelvin?
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03. A Mickey Mouse balloon is blown up to a volume of approximately 3000 cm 3 at room
temperature (around 20C). If the balloon was released and travelled 5 km upwards, it
would be at a temperature of -20C. What would the volume of the balloon be at that
new height? (Show your work and include units).

Mr. Saucedo 8.

Chemistry