Name: ____________________________________
Required Practical Title: 8a – Boyle’s Law
Aim
A clear brief statement of the purpose of this experiment.
To investigate the relationship between the pressure and volume of a fixed mass of air at
constant temperature and to verify Boyle’s Law.
Hypothesis
A clear statement of what will happen in the experiment (relate the independent variable to the dependent variable)
with a detailed explanation of why this will happen.
Boyle’s Law states that for a fixed mass of gas at constant temperature, the pressure is inversely
proportional to the volume:
P is directly proportional to 1/V, or PV = constant
Therefore, as the volume of air decreases, the pressure should increase proportionally.
A graph of P against 1/V should produce a straight line through the origin.
Method
A detailed plan of how the investigation will be carried out.
Variables (Independent, dependent and control)
Type Variable How controlled or measured
Independent Calculated from the force due to masses divided by the
Applied pressure (Pa)
variable cross-sectional area of the syringe plunger.
Dependent Volume of trapped air
Measured directly from the syringe scale.
variable (m³)
Carried out at room temperature and over a short time
Temperature, mass of air
Control to keep temperature constant; same sample of air
sample, and atmospheric
variables used; atmospheric pressure measured and added to
pressure
applied pressure.
Equipment (List equipment used in the investigation. You could also draw a diagram of how the equipment is set up
– use a pencil and ruler)
10 ml syringe with 0.5 ml divisions, 5 cm length of thin-walled rubber tubing, Pinch clip, Stand and
clamp, String loop, 100 g mass holder and 9 × 100 g masses (up to 1 kg), 2kg mass for stability,
Vernier calliper or micrometer to measure syringe diameter, Ruler for checking plunger movement
Procedure (A numbered list describing the steps required to carry out the investigation. Refer to all pieces of
equipment and how they are used)
1. Measure the internal diameter of the syringe barrel in metres.
2. Calculate the cross-sectional area of the plunger using
A = (πd^2)/4
3. Pull out the plunger to take in 4.0 ml of air and reinsert it carefully.
4. Attach the rubber tubing to the nozzle, fold the tubing over, and clamp it securely with the
pinch clip to trap the air.
5. Set up the apparatus vertically as shown, connecting the string loop to the plunger handle
and hanging the 100 g mass holder from it.
6. Make sure the plunger can move freely and is not sticking.
7. Record the initial volume of the air column with the 100 g mass holder and one 100 g mass
(total = 200 g).
8. Add two 100 g masses at a time, up to 1000 g total, each time reading and recording the
new air volume on the syringe.
9. Remove the masses gradually to confirm that the plunger returns smoothly.
10. Record all values of mass and volume in a table.
Risk Assessment (State the hazards and risks and what can be done to minimise these risks)
Hazard Risk Precaution
Keep feet clear of the base;
Bruising or injury to foot or
Falling masses ensure stand is stable; add
hand
masses gently
Use a wide, heavy base and
Equipment tipping over Impact or breakage
clamp securely
Rubber tubing snapping or Wear eye protection, check
Minor eye hazard
releasing air suddenly tubing and clip are secure
Sharp edges on metal
Small cuts Handle masses by sides
masses
Results
Data collected and observations made during practical work. Tables and graph must have suitable labels and units.
Results Table
Total Mass
Force (N) Volume (ml) Volume (m^3) Pressure (Pa) 1/V (m^-3)
(g)
200 1.96 4.0 4.0 × 10⁻⁶ 1.03 × 10⁵ 2.50 × 10⁵
400 3.92 3.5 3.5 × 10⁻⁶ 1.05 × 10⁵ 2.86 × 10⁵
600 5.88 3.1 3.1 × 10⁻⁶ 1.07 × 10⁵ 3.23 × 10⁵
800 7.84 2.8 2.8 × 10⁻⁶ 1.09 × 10⁵ 3.57 × 10⁵
1000 9.80 2.5 2.5 × 10⁻⁶ 1.11 × 10⁵ 4.00 × 10⁵
Calculation:
F = mg
P total = 101,000 + F/A
Graph (attach to write-up)
Anomalies
State if you got any anomalies in your results, identify them specifically, why might they have occurred and what was
done with them e.g. where they discarded from average calculations?
Conclusion
Description of patterns in the data supported with scientific explanations.
Trends and Patterns of data
The graph of 1 / V against P produced a straight line through the origin, confirming that pressure
is inversely proportional to volume.
As pressure increased, the air volume decreased, showing that the product PVPVPV remained
approximately constant.
Conclusions with scientific explanations (state whether the data supports the hypothesis or not and give scientific
reasons for the results)
At constant temperature, gas molecules move with constant average kinetic energy. Increasing
external pressure forces the molecules closer together, reducing the space between collisions
and therefore reducing the gas volume.
This agrees with the gas equation PV =nRT, where n and T are constant.
Data support the hypothesis, as the relationship between P and 1/V was linear and proportional.
Evaluation
Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of the investigation and suggest specific improvements e.g. was it difficult to
control certain variables, would a different pieces of equipment be more suitable?
Strengths
Systematic measurements with increasing and decreasing loads confirmed repeatability.
Volumes read to half a division improved precision.
Linear trend shows data consistency.
Safe and simple setup requiring minimal corrections.
Weaknesses
Small friction between plunger and barrel may have caused pressure overshoot.
Slight temperature change in compressed air could affect accuracy.
Human parallax error when reading the syringe scale.
Specific Improvements
Use a digital pressure sensor and data-logging syringe to remove human reading errors.
Apply lubricant or use a low-friction syringe to reduce sticking.
Keep the setup inside a constant-temperature water bath to maintain isothermal
conditions.
Take three readings for each load and calculate means for higher reliability.
Sources of information
List any sources of information used e.g. books, websites, etc.
CLEAPSS. (2024). Laboratory Safety Guidance: Use of Masses and Pressurised Equipment.
CLEAPSS, UK.
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