To understand which of these gas laws is equivalent to work done, we must first understand the basic concept of work in the context of gases. For gases, work is done when there is a change in volume under pressure, typically expressed as W = P ΔV, where W is work, P is pressure, and ΔV is the change in volume.
Let's consider the given gas laws:
Charle's law states that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature at constant pressure.
Pressure law (often referred to as Gay-Lussac's law) says that the pressure of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature at constant volume.
Boyle's law states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume at constant temperature. In equation form, this is P₁V₁ = P₂V₂.
Gay-Lussac's law is another name for the Pressure law.
Among these, Boyle's law relates directly to work done because it involves a change in volume at constant temperature, implying that work occurs as a gas expands or compresses. The equation P₁V₁ = P₂V₂ is foundational for calculating work done in reversible processes, which aligns with the expression for work done on a gas, W = P ΔV. Thus, **Boyle's law** is most directly connected to the concept of work done on a gas.