The discovery of Boyle's Law, 1661-62

Abstract

Superficial observations on the chemical and physical properties of air were made in remote antiquity. ft, was recognized that air was in some way necessary to support fire and flame. The fact that air (or gas) possesses pressure was also clearly recognized, though not, proved. The Aristotelian notion that "nature abhors a vacuum" still persisted in the seventeenth century, and it, was this hypothesis that led to many heated discussions between the protagonists of the theory (the plenists) and the antagonists who believed that it. was possible to create a vacuum.We shall very briefly outline the experiments which led to the overthrow of the Aristotelian hypothesis.It was not until the mid-17th century that, any systematic or scientific investigations of the air were carried out.

Revisiting ideal gases and proposal of a simple experiment for determining atmospheric pressure in the laboratory

“…While the density of mercury (e.g., 13.5364 g cm −3 at 24 °C) can be found in tables or determined using equation (10), over a wide range of temperature, the parameter g depends on the latitude (φ) and altitude (h) above sea level. For very precise works, the value of g (m s −2 ) can be determined using the international gravity formula: 36 g = 9.780318[1 + 5.3024×10 -3 sen 2 (ϕ) -5.8×10 -6 sen 2 (2ϕ)] -3.085×10 -6 h(m) (11) However, in ordinary experiments in teaching laboratories, correction for latitude and altitude is unnecessary and the 'standard acceleration of gravity' found in physical chemistry textbooks [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] (g = 9.80665 m s −2 -exact value) is commonly used.…”

“…After determination of p atm using the aforementioned method, a rectangular hyperbola (p vs. V = k(T,n)) was obtained using equation (13) (see Figure 3).…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Significant advances in the study of the rarefied gases were first obtained in the 17th century from 1643−1662. 1,[13][14][15] In this sense, Galileo's pupil in Florence, the mathematician Evangelista Torricelli (1608−1647), showed in 1643 that mercury in a vertical tube sealed at one end sank to a height of 30 inches, leaving a vacuous space above which was called a "Torricellian vacuum". 1,14,15 Torricelli suggested that the mercury column in this apparatus, which Robert Boyle (1627-1691) named a 'barometer', is sustained by the pressure of the atmosphere on the surface of the mercury in the open dish in which the tube stands.…”

“…1,14,15 Torricelli suggested that the mercury column in this apparatus, which Robert Boyle (1627-1691) named a 'barometer', is sustained by the pressure of the atmosphere on the surface of the mercury in the open dish in which the tube stands. 1,14,15 The important studies comprising the pressurevolume behavior of rarefied gases are due to Boyle, 1,[13][14][15] as will be extensively discussed in this article. Additional important advances in the study of the rarefied gases considering the influence of temperature were not obtained until the 18th century (c.a.…”

“…Boyle reported in 1662 that the volume (V) of air decreases when pressure (p) is applied, and that the volume is inversely proportional to the applied pressure. This experimental result can be expressed mathematically using the following equation (Boyle's law): [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]…”