Difference between Oxygen Tension and Partial Pressure

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the difference between oxygen tension and partial pressure, exploring their definitions and implications in the context of chemistry and biology. Participants engage in a homework-related inquiry, seeking clarification on these terms and their specific applications.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that oxygen tension is synonymous with the partial pressure of oxygen.
  • Others argue that oxygen tension is more specific, relating to oxygen dissolved in blood plasma, while partial pressure refers to the independent pressure exerted by a gaseous component in a mixture.
  • A participant mentions that the distinction may be seen as hair splitting, noting that expressing concentrations as mmHg refers to the equilibrium partial pressure of the gas.
  • Concerns are raised about the use of simplified expressions in science, suggesting that these terms may sometimes serve as proxies that can lead to misunderstandings.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the definitions and implications of oxygen tension and partial pressure. While some agree on the specificity of oxygen tension, others question the clarity and accuracy of these definitions, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the definitions provided, as participants rely on varying interpretations and applications of the terms without reaching a consensus on their precise meanings.

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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?
 
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
 
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:
 
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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Navin said:
S

Sure will do.
Okay i have edited the question,links in the question above.
 
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.
 
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:
 
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 !
 

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