When the pressure on a gas is increased at constant temperature, what happens to the volume of the gas?

• A. The volume decreases.
• B. The volume remains unchanged.
• C. The volume first increases, then decreases.
• D. The volume increases.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall Boyle's Law, which describes the relationship between pressure and volume of a gas at constant temperature. It states that pressure and volume are inversely proportional.
2. Express Boyle's Law mathematically as \(P \times V = k\), where \(P\) is pressure, \(V\) is volume, and \(k\) is a constant for a given amount of gas at constant temperature.
3. Understand that if the pressure \(P\) increases while temperature remains constant, the product \(P \times V\) must remain the same, so the volume \(V\) must decrease to keep the equation balanced.
4. Visualize this relationship: as you increase pressure by compressing the gas, the gas particles occupy less space, resulting in a smaller volume.
5. Conclude that increasing pressure at constant temperature causes the volume of the gas to decrease, which aligns with the correct answer.