Partial Pressure question (should be easy to answer)

In summary, the conversation discusses the relationship between partial pressures and Dalton's law of partial pressures in the context of a chemical equation. The question posed is whether the partial pressure of 2HNO2 would be 0.8 if the partial pressures of H2 and O2 are 0.5 and 0.3 respectively. It is pointed out that the sum of partial pressures cannot exceed 1, and it is important to clarify the source of the "N" in the equation.
  • #1
dlw902
9
0

Homework Statement



if you have an equation such as H2+2O2=2HNO2 and you know the partial pressure of H2 is .5 and the partial pressure of O2 is .3, does that mean that the partial pressure of 2HNO2 is .8?

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 
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  • #3
If the partial pressures are expressed as fractions of the total pressure, then the sum cannot be more than 1. You have all gasses in the same container, right? Both reactants and products. So the product cannot have 0.8 if you already have 0.5 and 0.3.
But first you need to answer the question asked by LowlyPion, anyway.
 

1. What is partial pressure?

Partial pressure is the pressure exerted by a single gas component in a mixture of gases. It is calculated by multiplying the total pressure by the mole fraction of the gas component.

2. How is partial pressure calculated?

Partial pressure is calculated by multiplying the total pressure by the mole fraction of the gas component. The mole fraction is obtained by dividing the number of moles of the gas component by the total number of moles in the mixture.

3. What is the relationship between partial pressure and total pressure?

The sum of all the partial pressures in a gas mixture is equal to the total pressure. This is known as Dalton's law of partial pressures.

4. How does temperature affect partial pressure?

According to the ideal gas law, as temperature increases, the volume of a gas increases, which leads to an increase in the partial pressure of the gas. This is because the molecules have more energy and are moving faster, resulting in more collisions with the container walls.

5. Why is partial pressure important?

Partial pressure is important because it helps us understand the behavior of gases in a mixture. It allows us to predict how gases will behave under different conditions and is essential in many scientific fields such as chemistry, physics, and biology.

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