What is the Partial Pressure of Air in a Cylinder at 10 atm and 298 K?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the partial pressures of nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) in a cylinder containing 1 L of air at 10 atm and 298 K. Using the Ideal Gas Law (PV = nRT) and the concept of mole fractions, the mole fractions for N2 and O2 are determined to be 0.79 and 0.21, respectively. Consequently, the partial pressures are calculated using the formula Pi = yi P, resulting in 7.9 atm for N2 and 2.1 atm for O2. This approach effectively utilizes the principles of gas laws and mole fractions to derive the solution.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Ideal Gas Law (PV = nRT)
  • Knowledge of mole fractions and their calculation
  • Familiarity with the concept of partial pressure
  • Basic grasp of Avogadro's law regarding gas volumes
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the Ideal Gas Law applications in real-world scenarios
  • Learn about calculating partial pressures in mixtures of gases
  • Explore Avogadro's law and its implications in gas behavior
  • Investigate the effects of temperature and pressure on gas volumes
USEFUL FOR

Students in chemistry or physics, educators teaching gas laws, and professionals in fields requiring gas mixture analysis will benefit from this discussion.

Ahalp
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Homework Statement



A cylinder contains 1 L of air at 10 atm and 298 K.
Knowing that air is composed of 79% N2 and 21% O2 by VOLUME, calculate the initial partial pressure for both.

Homework Equations



Ideal Gas Law: PV = nRT

Mole Fraction: yi = moles of i / total moles

Partial Pressure: Pi = yi P

The Attempt at a Solution



The main thing throwing me off is that the composition is by Volume, not mass or moles.
I'm completely stumped on how to find the mole fractions.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What does Avogadro's law say about moles & volumes?
 
1 mol of every gas occupies the same volume (at the same pressure and temperature).

Thanks, it makes sense now :)
 

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