One of the key gas laws which we have learnt during our JC Physics tuition classes is the Boyle’s law. It aids us to closely comprehend the interrelation of the physical forces of temperature, pressure, and volume. In this article, we shall look at real life examples of the Boyle’s law.
Aerosols: In aerosols like as deodorants or spray paints, there are typically two portions in the can, that is, the primary liquid solution, and a gas which is sealed and stored under high pressure so that it stays in a liquid state even if it’s at its boiling point, which is normally below the room temperature. When the aerosol’s nozzle is pushed down, the seal on the liquid gas opens, decreasing the pressure, and providing an escape route. This gas starts boiling instantly, turning into a gas, whose volume is increasing, and pushing the paint or perfume out of the can in an attempt to move into a low-pressure area.
Vehicle Tires: While filling the tire of a motor vehicle with air, you can observe that the pressure of the air is kept to about thirty – thirty-five PSI. As more air is forced into the tire, the rising pressure decreases the air molecules’ volume by packing them closely together. The pressure inside the pump has to be greater than that inside the tire to enable more air to be pushed.
Scuba Diving: It’s a common understanding among scuba divers that, when trying to surface from deep waters, it’s extremely important that the ascent has to be super slow. This is so because, as a diver travels deeper underwater, the pressure on his/her body increases. Due to this, the nitrogen gas volume decreases and becomes concentrated in the bloodstream. As the diver returns to the surface, the pressure decreases, and hence the nitrogen bubbles in the body start to increase in size and return to their standard volume. If the diver ascends quickly, or fails to use a depressurization chamber, these nitrogen bubbles returns to their regular volume so fast, making the blood turn foamy.
Soda Cans/Bottles: Anytime a bottle or can of soda is opened, the lid or the cap is opened slowly, permitting the gas inside to escape at a managed rate. This is due to the fact that, opening too quickly makes the drink to fizzle excessively and spill. The soda carbonation process entails forcing in CO2 under high pressure inside the water, decreasing its volume, and then forcing it into a tiny confined area. Hence, on opening the cap slowly, the gas’ pressure decreases, and expands gradually, escaping from the bottle generating fizz.
