× Didn't find what you were looking for? Ask a question
Top Posters
Since Sunday
5
a
5
k
5
c
5
B
5
l
5
C
4
s
4
a
4
t
4
i
4
r
4
New Topic  
roxie324 roxie324
wrote...
Posts: 10
Rep: 0 0
12 years ago
I have a given atmospheric pressure of 1700 mmHg and atmosphere compsition of 12% O2, 65% N2, 20% Ar, and 3% NH3. It's been awhile since I took chemistry, but for this physio question, I think I need to use this formula (Px = Ptotal [nx/ntotal]) to find the partial pressure, correct?

But then I need to find moles, so I assume the mass. For example, for how I tried to calculate the partial pressure of O2 was assuming 12% as 12g of O2 then divide to molar mass and get 0.37502 mol O2. And then I repeated the same step to all other gases. Then to find the total moles, am I suppose to add all the calculate gas moles or just divide 100g (which is total mass of all gases in atmosphere composition as 100%) to the added molar mass of all the gases? For what I did was add all the calculate gas moles and got the ntotal of 3.37209 mol (which I get a different answer if I did the other way).

So, going from the original formula, PO2 should be 189.06 mmHg.
Px = Ptotal (nx/ntotal)
PO2 = 1700 mmHg (0.37592 mol O2/3.37209 total moles) = 189.06 mmHg

I am not certain if I got the calculations or the idea right, but if someone could confirm it, then I should have no problem in finding the other gases.
Read 1055 times
1 Reply

Related Topics

Replies
wrote...
12 years ago
Basically what you need to do is find out the moles of each gas in the atmosphere. For example, what you did with the 12%=12g and dividing by molar mass to get moles for O2 was correct. From that point on, you figure out the moles for each of the gases and then add them all up. Finally, you figure out the % of moles for each gas and multiply that % by 1700. So, for O2, it would be

0.37502 moles/ total moles (all moles of gases added)  = mole percentage of O2 in the atmosphere.

You then take this value and multiply by the total atmospheric pressure to get the pressure fraction represented by O2 in air.
New Topic      
Explore
Post your homework questions and get free online help from our incredible volunteers
  1341 People Browsing
Related Images
  
 238
  
 213
  
 112
Your Opinion
Who will win the 2024 president election?
Votes: 3
Closes: November 4