Using the Gas Laws (Charles’ Law, Boyle’s Law), how do different locations affect a balloon’s circumference?

Materials Needed

• 1 balloon
• 1 tape measure
• 1 permanent marker
• 1 thermometer
• calculator

Procedures

1. Blow balloon into a ball shape – NOT AN OVAL!! ***under-inflated***
2. Tie off balloon to seal.
3. Mark the equator of the balloon with the permanent marker.
4. Using the tape measure, measure the circumference at the equator of the balloon at each location you test.
5. Complete the chart below at each location.

*IMPORTANT* When you go to a new location, you must wait 5 minutes in order for the temperature of the gases inside the balloon to stabilize with the temperature of the air outside the balloon.

How to find volume

Volume = circumference x circumference x circumference ÷ 59

Example: 8 x 8 x 8 ÷ 59 = 8.7 cm3 (round your answer to the nearest tenth)

Location Temperature °C Circumference (cm)(round to nearest tenth) Volume (cm3)