Boyle's Law Lecture Demonstrations
From ChemPRIME
Measuring Pressure with a Syringe and Baby Scale
A free-moving 30 cc glass syringe is plugged with a luer lok stopper with a trapped volume of 20 cc at atmospheric pressure.
The plunger is 7/8" in diameter (0.88") so the area is πr2 = 0.60 in2.
Push down on the scale with the plunger until V = 15 cc and measure weight (force), ~3 lb
New pressure = 3 lb/0.60 in2 external + 14.7 atmospheric = 19.6 lb/in2.
Push down on the scale witht the plunger until V = 10 cc and measure weight (force), ~9 lb
New pressure = 9 lb/0.60 in2 external + 14.7 atmospheric = 29.4 lb/in2.
For the three cases, PV = ~294, so P1V1 = k = P2V2

