Answer to Question #128045 in General Chemistry for Emily

Question

the air in a cylinder with a piston has a volume of 280 ml and a pressure of 650 mmHg. to obtain a higher pressure inside the cylinder at a constant temperature and the amount of gas, should the volume of the gas in the cylinder change as

a. smaller volume

b. larger volume

c. remains the same

Answer 1

pV = nRT (p - pressure, V - volume, n - amount of substance, T - temperature, R - universal gas constant)

By condition, n and T are constant; therefore nRT is constant also:

pV = constant.

So, if you want to obtain higher pressure, you should reduce volume.

Answer: a. smaller volume