Difference between Oxygen Tension and Partial Pressure

In summary: In fact, it's one of the main problems with simplified language. People often misinterpret it and end up with wrong conclusions.
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  • #2
Navin said:

Homework Statement


What's the difference between Oxygen Tension And Partial Pressure

Homework Equations


...uh...rules of grammar ?

The Attempt at a Solution


If I knew the solution I wouldn't be here now would I ?
Links?
 
  • #3
berkeman said:
Links?
Pardon me ?i didnt quite get what you are trying to put forward.

Uh there arent any links given in the question.My bio Prof asked us to find the difference
 
  • #4
Navin said:
Pardon me ?
You're pardoned. What do you find when you type those terms into Google? I think most of us are familiar with the term Partial Pressure, but I've never heard of Oxygen Tension (but I'm not a chemist). To save a few dozen people all having to use Google to try to contribute to the thread, it would be good if you could do that Google search yourself to save us all of that cumulative time.

Heck, you might even be able to answer your own question with the results of that search. Let us know what you find. Thanks. :smile:
 
  • #5
S
berkeman said:
You're pardoned. What do you find when you type those terms into Google? I think most of us are familiar with the term Partial Pressure, but I've never heard of Oxygen Tension (but I'm not a chemist). To save a few dozen people all having to use Google to try to contribute to the thread, it would be good if you could do that Google search yourself to save us all of that cumulative time.

Heck, you might even be able to answer your own question with the results of that search. Let us know what you find. Thanks. :smile:
Sure will do.
 
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  • #6
Navin said:
S

Sure will do.
Okay i have edited the question,links in the question above.
 
  • #7
Basically they are saying that
oxygen tension is partial pressure of oxygen
Which is funny because today in class sir disagreed with that statemwnt somewhat and asked us to go deeper.
 
  • #8
Navin said:
oxygen tension is partial pressure of oxygen
Actually they are being more specific than that. What is more specific about oxygen tension than the more general definition of partial pressure? :smile:
 
  • #9
berkeman said:
Actually they are being more specific than that. What is more specific about oxygen tension than the more general definition of partial pressure? :smile:
Good news !
We discused the problem with our Awesome proffesor.

So here it goes
Basically Oxygen tension is specific to oxygen disolved in blood plasma while partial pressure is the indepent pressure exerted by a gaseous components of a multi gaseous mixture
 
  • #10
Secandly partial pressure refers to gases while oxygen tension is of DISSOLVED blood plasma oxygen.
 
  • #11
Yep, that's what I saw in the links you posted. Now we all learned something new! :smile:
 
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  • #12
For me that's hair splitting, if you express concentrations as mmHg you are referring to the equilibrium partial pressure of the gas. Dissolved gas doesn't exert any pressure that you could measure.

Sadly, this is nothing unusual, in many sciences people use simplified ways of expressing values and are ready to "explain" what they "really" mean, while what they use is actually only some proxy (sometimes even a misunderstood one).
 
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  • #13
Borek said:
Dissolved gas doesn't exert any pressure that you could measure.

Sadly, this is nothing unusual, in many sciences people use simplified ways of expressing values and are ready to "explain" what they "really" mean, while what they use is actually only some proxy (sometimes even a misunderstood one).
Precisely !
 

What is the difference between oxygen tension and partial pressure?

Oxygen tension is the amount of oxygen dissolved in a liquid, while partial pressure is the pressure exerted by oxygen molecules in a gas mixture.

How are oxygen tension and partial pressure related?

Oxygen tension and partial pressure are directly proportional to each other, meaning that as one increases, the other also increases.

What units are used to measure oxygen tension and partial pressure?

Oxygen tension is typically measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), while partial pressure is measured in atmospheres (atm) or kilopascals (kPa).

Why is the difference between oxygen tension and partial pressure important in medical settings?

Understanding the difference between oxygen tension and partial pressure is crucial in medical settings because the amount of oxygen dissolved in a liquid (oxygen tension) is a more accurate measure of the body's oxygen levels than the pressure of oxygen in a gas mixture (partial pressure).

Are there any factors that can affect oxygen tension and partial pressure?

Yes, factors such as temperature, altitude, and the concentration of other gases in the mixture can affect both oxygen tension and partial pressure.

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