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Boyle's law says that for a gas at constant temperature, pressure and volume are what?

Inversely proportional: more pressure, less volume.

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  1. Inversely proportional ✔
  2. Always equal
  3. Unrelated to each other

Why: When pressure goes up, a gas squeezes smaller, and when pressure drops, it expands. That is why air spaces in your body and gear shrink on the way down and grow on the way up.

Huh, didn't know that: Robert Boyle described this relationship around 1660, long before scuba was invented.

The dad joke
Boyle's law explains why bubbles are so dramatic. Less pressure and suddenly they need more space.
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References

Answer: Inversely proportional. When pressure goes up, a gas squeezes smaller, and when pressure drops, it expands. That is why air spaces in your body and gear shrink on the way down and grow on the way up.

  1. PADI: Diving Physics blog.padi.com/diving-physics
    For a fixed amount of gas (at a constant temperature), the pressure and volume are inversely proportional.
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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