The gas law that states the relationship between the volume of a gas and its temperature is known as Charles’s Law. This law describes how gases tend to expand when heated and contract when cooled, provided that the pressure remains constant.
According to Charles’s Law, the volume of a given mass of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature (measured in Kelvin) when pressure is held constant. This can be mathematically expressed as:
V1/T1 = V2/T2
Where:
- V1 = Initial volume of the gas
- T1 = Initial temperature of the gas (in Kelvin)
- V2 = Final volume of the gas
- T2 = Final temperature of the gas (in Kelvin)
This fundamental relationship helps explain why hot air balloons rise: as the air inside the balloon is heated, it expands, decreasing its density compared to the cooler air outside, thus causing the balloon to ascend. Understanding Charles’s Law is essential in fields such as meteorology, engineering, and various scientific applications where gas behavior is relevant.