Boyle's Law

In 1664 Robert Boyle determined experimentally the effect of changing pressure on the volume of a gas at constant temperature.
Boyle found that if the pressure is increased, the volume of the gas decreases as shown in Curve A. Curve A suggests the mathematical relationship shown below between pressure and volume of a gas.

P = constant ×	1
	V

This mathematical relationship suggests that

a plot of P against 1/V should be linear.
Curve B shows that this is true.

the product PV should be constant for all V. Curve C shows that this is true.

A change in either volume or pressure results in a corresponding opposite change in the other.

If either the new pressure or the new volume is known, the other can be calculated.

P₁V₁ = P₂V₂

Boyle's work contributed to development of a model of the particle nature of matter. Consider the particle view of a gas shown.