How does pressure relate to 1/volume according to the gas laws?

The correct answer reflects the relationship defined by Boyle's Law, which states that the pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to its volume when temperature is held constant. This means that as the volume of a gas decreases, its pressure increases, and vice versa.

Mathematically, this relationship can be expressed as ( P \propto \frac{1}{V} ), which tells us that pressure and the reciprocal of volume will yield a constant value when temperature remains unchanged. Hence, if one were to increase the volume of a gas, the pressure would decrease, signifying that they do not increase or decrease together—instead, they exhibit an inverse relation.

Understanding this relationship is crucial for comprehending how gases behave under different conditions, especially in practical applications like breathing, tire pressure, and various industrial processes.

In this context, the assertion of direct proportionality through the origin is not accurate as it suggests that both values increase together, which does not reflect the inverse nature of their correlation under Boyle's Law. Each of the other choices fails to capture the essential inverse relationship and thus does not align with the established principles governing gases.