Chemistry · Lesson Worlds
Gases: interactive science lab
Change pressure and prove that a trapped gas shrinks when you squeeze it.
Free · No account required · Runs in your browser
What will you learn?
For a trapped gas at the same temperature, more pressure means less volume. Squeeze it, it shrinks. Ease off, it grows.
How does the lab work?
Observe the simulation, make a prediction, change a variable, run the experiment, and explain the result. Finish with a challenge that tests your understanding.
You can change: Pressure. Compare what happens and connect the result to the scientific explanation.
Try a comparison in Gases
Start with the lab’s initial settings. Choose one control below, predict the result, and change that control while keeping the others fixed. Record the setting and what you observe before making a second change.
- Pressure: the lab starts at 1 atm; its available range is 0.5–2.4 atm.
For a named starting condition, try Low, Room, High. A preset can change several settings: check the controls before treating two presets as a one-variable comparison.
Questions to discuss during the activity
- Watch what happens. The trapped air holds a height. Watch the piston at 1 atm.
- Name the cause. Boyle’s idea: same gas, same temperature, pressure times volume stays put. Push harder and the piston must sit lower. Squeeze and the particles pack.
- Change something. Raise pressure and the piston should drop. Change pressure, then squeeze.
- Guess before you run. If we raise pressure to 2 atm, the volume will… Guess what will happen, then run to check.
After your comparison, explain how the observations connect to this idea: For a trapped gas at the same temperature, more pressure means less volume. Squeeze it, it shrinks. Ease off, it grows. Name one condition you held fixed and one feature of the real world this model simplifies. A completed run is a starting point for discussion, rather than proof of mastery.
Who is it for?
Curious learners exploring chemistry. A parent or teacher can help younger learners read the instructions and discuss the results. Choose by topic and prior knowledge rather than a fixed grade level.
Is this lab free?
Yes. This interactive lab is free without signing in or a paid membership.
No app download is needed; interactive play requires JavaScript and a modern browser.
Use this activity with a learner
Families and educators · choose by prior knowledge
Learning goal: For a trapped gas at the same temperature, more pressure means less volume. Squeeze it, it shrinks. Ease off, it grows.
Before you begin: Read the controls for Pressure. Make one prediction before changing a setting.
Check understanding: Ask for one observation, the evidence that supports it, and a question to investigate next.
A simulation simplifies the real world. Explain which conditions stayed fixed; a successful run alone does not demonstrate mastery.
Share Gases with your family or class. No account is needed to open the free resource.
Activity and guide by Lesson Worlds. About the platform.
Browse activity companions and lesson sequences