If the volume of a gas increases while temperature stays constant, what happens to the pressure?

Study for the Chemistry Gas Laws Test with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question comes with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

When the volume of a gas increases while the temperature remains constant, the pressure of the gas decreases. This behavior can be explained by Boyle's Law, which states that for a given amount of gas at constant temperature, the pressure of the gas is inversely proportional to its volume. This means that if the volume increases, the pressure must decrease to maintain the relationship defined by the law.

In practical terms, if you think of a balloon, when you let air into it, the volume expands and the pressure inside the balloon decreases compared to the pressure outside. This is because the gas particles spread out to fill the larger volume, which results in fewer collisions with the walls of the container (or balloon) per unit time, thereby reducing the pressure.

Therefore, an increase in volume results in a decrease in pressure, which makes the answer accurate and aligns with the principles of gas behavior described in Boyle's Law.

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