Ideal Gas Mixtures: Dalton vs Amagat Models

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the comparison between the Dalton and Amagat models of ideal gas mixtures. The Dalton model assumes that each component behaves as an ideal gas at the mixture's temperature and volume, leading to the concept of partial pressures. In contrast, the Amagat model assumes ideal gas behavior at the mixture's pressure and temperature, resulting in partial volumes. The key takeaway is that calculations involving ideal gas mixtures can only consistently utilize either partial pressures or partial volumes, not both simultaneously.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of ideal gas laws
  • Familiarity with Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures
  • Knowledge of Amagat's Law of Partial Volumes
  • Basic principles of thermodynamics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of the ideal gas law and its applications
  • Explore the implications of Dalton's Law in real-world gas mixtures
  • Investigate Amagat's Law and its relevance in engineering applications
  • Learn about the conversion between equivalence ratios and percent volumes in gas mixtures
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in chemistry, chemical engineering, and physics who are working with gas mixtures and need to understand the implications of different modeling approaches for ideal gases.

Saladsamurai
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Hello all! :smile: You know, I thought I knew something about ideal gas mixtures, but now I am not so sure. I am reading through a section of a text that discusses the Dalton and the Agamat models of ideal gas mixtures. I will briefly describe each:

Dalton Model: The underlying assumption is that each mixture component behaves as an ideal gas as if it were alone at the temperature T and volume V of the mixture. Hence, can apply the ideal gas relation to both the mixture and each component to arrive at

\frac{p_i}{p} = \frac{n_iRT/V}{nRT/V} = \frac{n_i}{n} = y_i \qquad(1)


Agamat Mode: The underling assumption is that each mixture component behaves as an ideal gas as if it existed separately at the pressure P and temperature T of the mixture. Hence,

\frac{V_i}{V} = \frac{n_iRT/P_i}{nRT/P} = \frac{n_i}{n} = y_i \qquad(2)


Now the 2 models just described are based on 2 different assumptions and it would seem as though the 2 assumptions are conflicting with each other. That is, since the Dalton model assumes common T and V, it gives rise to the concept of a partial pressure. And again, since the Agamat model assumes common T and P, it gives rise to the concept of partial volumes.

This would suggest that if I am doing calculations with an ideal gas mixture, I can only talk about partial pressures OR partial volumes and not both.

Does this make sense to anyone? I would like to clarify this because I am doing some experimental work, and I need to converto from an equivalence ratio to a percent volume and that is how all of this confusion started.
 
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Makes sense to me. Conceptually, I don't see how partial volumes would correspond to reality, since the molecules are free to move anywhere within the confines of the container. But as a model it works fine.

AM
 

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