What happens to the pressure of a gas when its volume decreases at constant temperature?

When the volume of a gas decreases while maintaining a constant temperature, the pressure of the gas increases. This behavior is a result of the principles outlined in Boyle's Law, which states that for a given amount of gas at a constant temperature, the pressure of the gas is inversely proportional to its volume.

As the volume of the container holding the gas decreases, the gas molecules have less space to move around. Consequently, they collide with the walls of the container more frequently and with greater force, leading to an increase in pressure. The constant temperature condition indicates that despite the volume change, the kinetic energy of the gas molecules remains the same, which further supports the idea that reduced space results in higher pressure due to more frequent molecular collisions.

Understanding Boyle's Law is crucial in predicting how gases behave under different conditions and is fundamental when analyzing various scenarios related to gas laws in both science and engineering contexts.