Calculate Partial Pressure of Mercury Vapor in a Fluorescent Light Bulb
What is partial pressure of a gas?
The thermodynamic activity of a gas's molecules is evaluated by its partial pressure. Gases react, disperse, and dissolve based on their partial pressures rather than the concentrations they have in liquids or other gas combinations.
How can we calculate the partial pressure of a gas in a mixture?
In a mixture of gases, each constituent gas has a partial pressure which is the notional pressure of that constituent gas as if it alone occupied the entire volume of the original mixture at the same temperature. The total pressure of an ideal gas mixture is the sum of the partial pressures of the gases in the mixture (Dalton's Law).
Answer:
To calculate the partial pressure of a gas in a mixture, you can use Dalton's Law. The formula for Dalton's Law is:
P = P₁ + P₂
Where,
P is the total gas pressure
P₁ is the partial pressure of Argon gas
P₂ is the partial pressure of Mercury vapor
Calculation:
Given:
Partial pressure of Argon gas (P₁) = 306.0 Pa
Total gas pressure (P) = 307.1 Pa
Calculate the mole fraction of Argon gas (n₁):
n₁ = P₁ / P = 306.0 / 307.1 = 0.9
Since the total mole fraction of gases in a mixture is 1, the mole fraction of Mercury vapor (n₂) is:
n₂ = 1 - n₁ = 1 - 0.9 = 0.1
Now, calculate the partial pressure of Mercury vapor (P₂):
P₂ = P × n₂ = 307.1 × 0.1 = 30.71 Pa
Partial pressure of a gas plays a crucial role in understanding the behavior of gases in a mixture. By calculating the partial pressures of individual gases, we can determine their contributions to the total pressure of the system.
Dalton's Law of partial pressures provides a simple yet powerful way to analyze gas mixtures. It states that the total pressure exerted by a mixture of non-reacting gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases in the mixture. This concept is vital in various fields of science, including chemistry and physics.
By applying the formula and principles of Dalton's Law, we can determine the partial pressure of each gas component in a mixture and understand their relative concentrations. This knowledge helps in predicting how gases will behave under different conditions and in various applications, such as in industrial processes and environmental studies.
Therefore, understanding and calculating partial pressures of gases are essential for a comprehensive analysis of gas mixtures and their properties.