Tina can explain the difference in size between the two balloons using the principles of gas behavior and temperature, specifically focusing on Charles's Law, which states that the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its temperature in Kelvin, provided the pressure is constant.
When Tina fills both balloons with helium gas, the gas in both balloons is at room temperature. However, once she places one balloon in the freezer, the temperature of the gas in that balloon decreases. As the temperature drops, the kinetic energy of the helium gas molecules decreases, causing the gas molecules to occupy less space. Consequently, the volume of the gas decreases, leading to the smaller size of the balloon that was placed in the freezer.
In contrast, the balloon that remained at room temperature retains the gas’s original volume because the temperature is higher, allowing the gas molecules to remain more energetic and spread out more, resulting in a larger balloon.
Therefore, the smaller size of the balloon from the freezer compared to the balloon at room temperature can be accurately explained by the relationship between gas temperature and volume as outlined by Charles's Law: lower temperature results in lower volume for the gas contained within the balloon.
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