PROBLEM 14.

KNOWN: He-Xe mixture containing 0.75 mole fraction of He at 300 K and 1 atm.

FIND: Mass fraction of He and mixture mass density, molar concentration, and molecular
weight. Mass of coolant in 10 liters.

SCHEMATIC:
He-Xe mixture
0.75 mole fraction He
T = 300 K, p = 1 atm

ASSUMPTIONS: Ideal gas mixture.

PROPERTIES: M He = 4 kg / kmol , M Xe = 131.3 kg / kmol

ANALYSIS: The molar concentration of the mixture can be found directly from the ideal gas
law, in the form

p 1 atm
C= = = 0.0406 kmol / m3 <
−
ℜT 8.205 × 10 m ⋅ atm / kmol ⋅ K × 300 K
2 3

The mass density of one component in a mixture can be related to the mole fraction by combining
Eqs. 14.11 and 14.1 to yield

ρi = Mi x i C

For He this results in

ρ He = 4 kg / kmol × 0.75 × 0.0406 kmol / m3 = 0.1219 kg / m3

Then the total mass density can be found by summing the species mass densities,

ρ = ∑ ρi = C∑ Mi x i = 0.0406 [ 4 kg / kmol × 0.75 + 131.3 kg / kmol × 0.25]

i i
ρ = 1.455 kg / m3 <
Thus the helium mass fraction is

ρ 0.1219 kg / m3
m He = He = = 0.0837 <
ρ 1.455 kg / m3

Finally, the molecular weight of the mixture can be found from

Continued…
 PROBLEM 14.4 (Cont.)

ρ 1.455 kg / m3
M= = = 35.8 kg / kmol <
C 0.0406 kmol / m3

Finally, the mass corresponding to a 10 liter cooling system capacity would be

M = ρV = 1.455 kg/m3 × 10 liters × 10-3 m3/liter = 0.0146 kg <

COMMENTS: (1) As you may recall from thermodynamics, the molar concentration of an
ideal gas is a function only of pressure and temperature, independent of the species. (2) The mass
fraction of helium is much less than its mole fraction because its molecular weight is so much less
than that of xenon.