charles' law: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Scientific/Academic
Quick answer
What does “charles' law” mean?
A scientific law stating that, at constant pressure, the volume of a fixed amount of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A scientific law stating that, at constant pressure, the volume of a fixed amount of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature.
A fundamental principle of physics and chemistry (specifically gas laws) describing the relationship between gas volume and temperature, foundational to thermodynamics and engineering.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or use. Spelling of the possessive (Charles's law vs. Charles' law) may vary by publisher style, not by region.
Connotations
Identical technical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally frequent in scientific contexts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “charles' law” in a Sentence
Noun + Verb (Charles' law states/predicts/demonstrates...)Preposition + Noun (according to/in accordance with Charles' law)Verb + Preposition + Noun (to calculate/derive... using Charles' law)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “charles' law” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We charles-law-ed the data to find the new volume.
- The process can be charles-lawed for a quick estimate.
American English
- We Charles's-lawed the data to find the new volume.
- You can Charles-law the variables in that equation.
adverb
British English
- The gas expanded Charles' law-ly as predicted.
- The volume increased, behaving quite Charles' law.
American English
- The volume changed Charles's-law-wise.
- It heated up Charles-law-style.
adjective
British English
- The Charles' law relationship is clearly visible on the graph.
- This is a classic Charles' law demonstration.
American English
- The Charles's-law relationship is linear.
- We observed a Charles-law effect in the cylinder.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Extremely rare; potentially in very specific industrial gas or engineering contexts.
Academic
Primary context. Used in physics, chemistry, and engineering textbooks, lectures, and problem sets.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
The core context. Used by scientists, engineers, and technicians in calculations involving gases.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “charles' law”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “charles' law”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “charles' law”
- Using Celsius instead of Kelvin in calculations.
- Forgetting the 'constant pressure' condition.
- Confusing it with Boyle's law (which deals with pressure and volume).
- Incorrect possessive spelling (Charles's vs. Charles').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is named after Jacques Charles, who formulated it in the 1780s, though Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac published more precise measurements later.
Volume can be in any consistent unit (L, m³), but temperature MUST be in Kelvin (K) for the direct proportionality to hold.
It describes ideal gas behavior. Real gases approximate this law reasonably well under conditions not near liquefaction.
V₁/T₁ = V₂/T₂, where V is volume and T is absolute temperature, with pressure and amount of gas constant.
A scientific law stating that, at constant pressure, the volume of a fixed amount of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature.
Charles' law is usually technical/scientific/academic in register.
Charles' law: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtʃɑːlzˌlɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtʃɑrlzˌlɔ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “N/A”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Charles likes to get VOLuminous when the TEMP is right (Volume & Temperature are directly proportional).
Conceptual Metaphor
SCALE/BALANCE (as temperature increases, volume increases in a measured, proportional way).
Practice
Quiz
What must be held constant for Charles' law to be valid?