According to Charles' Law, how are volume and temperature related at constant pressure?

Charles' Law states that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature when the pressure is held constant. This relationship is described mathematically as V ∝ T, where V represents volume and T represents temperature measured in Kelvin.

When the temperature of a gas increases, the kinetic energy of the gas particles also increases, causing them to move more vigorously. As a result, the gas expands, leading to an increase in volume. Conversely, if the temperature decreases, the kinetic energy of the particles diminishes, causing the gas to contract and the volume to decrease. This reflects the direct relationship dictated by Charles' Law.

Understanding this relationship is critical in various applications, such as understanding how gases behave in different conditions of heating or cooling. For instance, in hot air balloons, as the air inside is heated, its volume increases, causing the balloon to rise due to the lower density of the hot air compared to the cooler air outside.