Brainlag PlusSquashing a gas at constant temperature, p₁V₁ = p₂V₂, and why doing work on a gas warms it.
Squash it, the pressure rises
For a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature:
pressure × volume = constant
p₁ V₁ = p₂ V₂
Halve the volume and the pressure doubles: the same particles hit a smaller area of wall more often. Any units work, as long as both sides use the same ones (kPa and cm³ is fine).
- 200 cm³ of air at 100 kPa squashed to 50 cm³
- 100 × 200 = p₂ × 50
- p₂ = 20 000 ÷ 50 = 400 kPa
The rest of this lesson and its 9 practice questions are in Plus.
Screen 1 of 3, free to read.
- 9 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards