Have you ever observed what happens to an inflated ball, such as a football, when it is exposed to cold temperatures? The football will shrink slightly. This happens because the gas molecules keeping the ball inflated condense in cooler temperatures. Once the molecules are packed tightly together, the ball will appear “flat.” The relationship between cold air and gas density is explained by Charles’ Law.
How else does gas change in our everyday life? In this Warm-Up, list as many ways that you have observed a possible gas law in your life. As you are creating your list, try to think about how the gas changed and what caused the change.