Boyle's Law Calculator (P₁V₁ = P₂V₂)
At constant temperature, pressure and volume are inversely proportional. Enter initial conditions and new pressure to find new volume.
How to use this boyle's law calculator
- 1Enter initial pressure and volume.
- 2Enter the new (final) pressure.
- 3Calculator gives new volume at constant temperature.
- 4Units must be consistent — both pressures in atm, both volumes in litres.
How it's calculated
P₁V₁ = P₂V₂ at constant temperature. V₂ = P₁V₁ ÷ P₂. Doubling pressure halves volume.
About the Boyle's Law Calculator
Boyle's Law explains why deep-sea divers must exhale slowly while ascending — air in the lungs doubles in volume as pressure halves from 2 atm (10 m depth) to 1 atm (surface). Holding breath during ascent could rupture lung tissue.
The same principle keeps your tyres inflated: a fixed amount of air in a fixed volume maintains constant pressure (at constant temperature). Pumping more air in increases the amount of gas, not volume — covered by the ideal gas law.
Frequently asked questions
What does Boyle's Law state?
At constant temperature, pressure and volume of a fixed gas are inversely proportional: P₁V₁ = P₂V₂. Double pressure → half volume.
Real-world example?
A syringe: pulling the plunger increases volume, reducing pressure and drawing liquid in. A scuba tank: high-pressure gas in a small cylinder expands as you use it.
Who discovered it?
Robert Boyle (1627–1691), an Irish natural philosopher, established this empirically using a mercury-filled J-tube in 1662.