Boyles Law Graphs: PV vs Pressure Explained

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between the product of pressure and volume (PV) and pressure itself, particularly in the context of Boyle's Law. Participants explore how to graph these relationships and the implications of various calculations related to ideal gases.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asks about the relationship between PV and pressure, suggesting that the graph may be a horizontal line.
  • Another participant references a NASA website, encouraging others to plot PV against pressure and also against volume for a comprehensive understanding.
  • A participant discusses the method of plotting volume against the inverse of pressure (1/P) and provides an example calculation.
  • There is mention of the product PV being constant for an ideal gas, leading to a horizontal line when plotted against pressure, while also noting that the relationship between volume and 1/P results in a rectangular hyperbola.
  • Some participants express confusion about the nature of the graphs, with one questioning whether plotting volume against volume results in a straight line and asking about the gradient's representation.
  • Clarifications are made regarding the relationship between V and 1/P, with one participant correcting a previous misunderstanding about the graph's shape.
  • There is a discussion about the constant k being proportional to temperature, but not equal to it, with references to the ideal gas law.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying interpretations of the graphs and relationships involved, indicating that multiple competing views remain regarding the nature of the graphs and the implications of the calculations. The discussion does not reach a consensus on these points.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the ideal gas law and the assumptions involved, such as the behavior of ideal gases and the conditions under which PV remains constant. There are unresolved questions about the graphical representations and the meaning of the gradient.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to students and enthusiasts of physics and chemistry, particularly those studying gas laws and their graphical representations.

TheRedDevil18
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Hi, what would be the relationship between the product of pressure and volume (pv), against pressure. How would you represent it on a graph?, I have heard that the shape will be a horizontal line. Could someone please show an example or explain it to me?
 
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See, for example, this website at NASA. You should feel free to plot the product of pressure and volume against pressure given their demonstration for yourself. You could also plot the product against volume for completeness's sake.
 
Thanks, with the graph volume vs 1/pressure, I should just take the pressure and invert it and then sketch the graph eg. pressure 150kpa = 1/150 = 0.007. Is their any other calculations?
 
TheRedDevil18 said:
Hi, what would be the relationship between the product of pressure and volume (pv), against pressure. How would you represent it on a graph?, I have heard that the shape will be a horizontal line. Could someone please show an example or explain it to me?

The product PV for an ideal gas is constant, assuming no excess moles were added. So if you plot it against the pressure or the volume, it gives you a horizontal straight line.

Thanks, with the graph volume vs 1/pressure, I should just take the pressure and invert it and then sketch the graph eg. pressure 150kpa = 1/150 = 0.007. Is their any other calculations?

Yes, just calculate the corresponding 1/P for V. The graph is of the equation,

V = \frac{k}{P}

PV = k

From mathematics, this comes out to be a rectangular hyperbola.
 
Last edited:
So in my example pressure = 150 kPa and Constant = 1530, it will become 1530/150 = 10.2 which is my volume, so its like plotting volume against volume, so my graph is a straight line?, Are you sure this is correct? and also what does the gradient represent, is it temperature?
 
Last edited:
TheRedDevil18 said:
So in my example pressure = 150 kPa and Constant = 1530, it will become 1530/150 = 10.2 which is my volume, so its like plotting volume against volume, so my graph is a straight line?, Are you sure this is correct? and also what does the gradient represent, is it temperature?

Whoops. You do calculate the 1/P, for V and plot the graph. I misinterpreted your previous post and told you the hyperbolic relation for P and V, and not 1/P and V..

The graph between 1/P and V would simply be a straight line, as it is of the form y=mx ( or V=k/P). This line passes through the origin and has the slope k.
 
Last edited:
So to get 1/P, it would be V=k/P, right?, and does the gradient represent temperature?
 
TheRedDevil18 said:
So to get 1/P, it would be V=k/P, right?, and does the gradient represent temperature?

Yep. The gradient does not represent temperature, though. Since gas is ideal and assuming one mol,

k = PV = RT

So, k is proportional to temperature, though not exactly equal to temperature.
 
So k = RT, what does RT represent?
 
  • #10
TheRedDevil18 said:
So k = RT, what does RT represent?

Do you know the Ideal gas equation?

R is the universal gas constant, and T is temperature of the gas.
 

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