Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Boyle's law says that for a gas at a fixed temperature, the pressure is inversely proportional to the volume. A student measures the volume in litres, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and the pressure in kPa, 12.1, 6.0, 4.1, 3.0 and 2.4. Find the power from the logarithms, and predict the pressure at 6 litres. Also find the product of the pressure and the volume for each row, and its mean and spread.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Plan. A power means that the product is constant. Both checks use the table.
Check. The power is , so . The predicted pressure at 6 litres is 2.01 kPa. The product is 12.1, 12.0, 12.3, 12.0 and 12.0, with the mean 12.08 and a spread of 0.13: nearly constant, as Boyle's law says.
Answer: the power is , the pressure at 6 L is about 2.0 kPa, and kPa litres.
Log in to join the discussion.
Loading…