(no subject)

[eyelessgame]

Robert's homework has this question: 'As air warms, pressure ____ (increases or decreases)?'

How would you answer that?

Edit: The answer they were looking for was 'decreases'. They weren't looking for a causal relationship, they were asking in the context of atmospheric effects. Since warm air rises, its pressure decreases as a result of it rising.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

increases

How is the question vague? Is it because of the assumption that we're talking about a closed system?

[kirbyk.livejournal.com]

I'd go off of PV=nRT, so say 'increases', as that's the most simple context. And in school, the simple context is almost always right. (Out of school, it rarely is the one you need to worry about, though.)

[agrimony.livejournal.com]

I would write an obnoxious answer along the lines of 'On the assumption that this air is within a container, as the temperature rises the pressure increases, since the question as stated lacks the precision for an actual answer.'

[yessod.livejournal.com]

Huh. I would've said increases, because it expands as it gets hotter, so exerts more pressure on the things around it. PV=nRT and all that.