At a constant temperature, a gas is at a pressure of 1080 mm Hg. If the volume is decreased by 40%, find the new pressure of the gas.

Sure, let's solve this problem step by step using Boyle's Law. Boyle's Law states that the pressure and volume of a gas have an inverse relationship when temperature is held constant.

Step 1: Identify the initial pressure and volume. The initial pressure (P1) is 1080 mm Hg.

Step 2: Calculate the final volume. The volume is decreased by 40%, so the final volume (V2) is 60% of the initial volume. We don't know the initial volume (V1), but we can say V2 = 0.6 * V1.

Step 3: Use Boyle's Law to find the final pressure. Boyle's Law is P1V1 = P2V2. We can rearrange this to find P2 = P1*V1/V2.

Step 4: Substitute the values into the equation. Since V1 cancels out, we can say P2 = P1 / 0.6 = 1080 mm Hg / 0.6 = 1800 mm Hg.

So, the new pressure of the gas, when the volume is decreased by 40% at constant temperature, is 1800 mm Hg.