Charles' Law

If you have been a science student or you are a science student, then the Charles Law is not something that is new for you. The law states, “At constant pressure, the volume of a given mass is of an ideal gas increases or decreases by the same factor as its temperature (in kelvin) increases or decreases.” The formula of Charles Law is V1/T1=V2/T2. The Charles’ law in simple words can be explained like this that when you change the temperature of a gas, the volume changes. One must have noticed in daily life that when you heat something, it tends to get bigger. In this equation, the 1 indicates the initial temperature and volume while the 2 is used for the final temperature and volume.

The Charles’ Law is one of the famous four gas laws that are applied in Scuba Diving. The Charles used the similar apparatus that the Boyle’s used in his experiment to prove the gas law. The gas was trapped in a J-shaped glass tube that was sealed from one end. The tube was immersed in a water bath, by changing the temperature of the water bath; he was able to change the temperature of gas. The pressure was held constant throughout by adjusting the height of mercury so that the two columns of mercury have equal heights, and thus the pressure is always equal to the atmospheric pressure.

Few Lines About Jacques Charles

Jacques Alexander Cesar Charles was a French scientist, mathematician, inventor and a balloonist. He discovered Charles’ Law in 1787 and has also contributed a lot in the field of science.

The Charles’ Law and the other gas laws are applied in our everyday life too. Many times you must have noticed that if you play with football that if a football is inflated from inside and then taken outside on a winter day shrinks slightly. If a slightly under inflated rubber life raft is left in bright sunlight swells up. The plunger on a turkey syringe thermometer pops out when the turkey is done. The most important example of Charles’ Law is a scuba tank bursting because it is left in the trunk of a hot car in the tropical sun (temperature rises, volume is constant and the pressure increases). It happens because the volume of air trapped under the plunger increases when the temperature inside the turkey climbs. The students can perform Charles’ Gas Law hands-on experiments in order to prove the law and study.

The diving is an activity in which a diver gets a chance to learn a lot. A person learns about the names of the creatures that are present underwater. He also gets a chance to learn about new terminologies related to diving and also about the equipments that are used in diving. The gas laws are also included in the course of Diving Certification Programs that are offered by various diving institutes.