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Chapter 5: Problem 26

As weather balloons rise from the earth’s surface, the pressure of the atmosphere becomes less, tending to cause the volume of the balloons to expand. However, the temperature is much lower in the upper atmosphere than at sea level. Would this temperature effect tend to make such a balloon expand or contract? Weather balloons do, in fact, expand as they rise. What does this tell you?

Short Answer

Expert verified
As weather balloons rise, atmospheric pressure decreases and temperature also decreases. According to Boyle's law, the decrease in pressure should cause the balloon to expand, while according to Charles's law, the decrease in temperature should cause the balloon to contract. However, weather balloons do expand as they rise, indicating that the pressure change has a greater effect on the balloon's volume than the temperature change.

Step by step solution

01

Relationship between Pressure and Volume

According to Boyle's law, the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume when the temperature is held constant. As the weather balloon rises, the pressure of the atmosphere decreases, which should cause the volume of the balloon to expand.
02

Relationship between Temperature and Volume

According to Charles's law, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature when the pressure is held constant. As the weather balloon rises, the atmospheric temperature decreases, which should cause the volume of the balloon to contract.
03

Combined Effect on Volume

In the case of a weather balloon, both pressure and temperature are changing simultaneously. The combined effect of these factors determines the actual change in volume.
04

What do the actual behavior of weather balloons tell us

Since weather balloons do, in fact, expand as they rise, this indicates that the reduction in atmospheric pressure has a greater effect on the volume of the balloon than the decrease in temperature.

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