Chapter 10 Gases

10.10
Partial Pressure (Dalton’s Law)

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Partial Pressure

The partial pressure of a gas:

• Is the pressure of each gas in a mixture
• Is the pressure that gas would exert if it were by
itself in the container

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Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures

Dalton’s Law of Partial

Pressures indicates:
• Pressure depends on
the total number of
gas particles, not on
the types of particles
• That the total pressure
exerted by gases in a
mixture is the sum of
the partial pressures
• of those gases

PT = P1 + P2 + .....
3
Illustrating Partial Pressures

4
Total Pressure

• For example, at STP, one mole of a pure gas in a

volume of 22.4 L will exert the same pressure as
one mole of a gas mixture in 22.4 L.
V = 22.4 L
Gas mixtures

0.4 mole O2 0.5 mole O2

1.0 mole N2 0.6 mole He 0.3 mole He
1.0 mole 0.2 mole Ar
1.0 mole
1.0 atm 1.0 atm 1.0 atm

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Scuba Diving

• When a scuba diver makes a deep dive, the

increased pressure causes more N2 (g) to dissolve
in the blood.
• If a diver rises too fast, the dissolved N2 will form
bubbles in the blood, a dangerous and painful
condition called “the bends.”
• Helium, which does not dissolve in the blood, is
mixed with O2 to prepare breathing mixtures for
deep descents.

6
Learning Check

A scuba tank contains

O2 with a pressure of
0.450 atm and He at
855 mm Hg. What is the
total pressure in mm Hg
in the tank?

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Solution

1. Convert the pressure in atm to mm Hg.

0.450 atm x 760 mm Hg = 342 mm Hg = PO2
1 atm
2. Calculate the sum of the partial pressures.
Ptotal = PO2 + PHe

Ptotal = 342 mm Hg + 855 mm Hg

= 1197 mm Hg

8
Learning Check

For a deep dive, some scuba divers are using a

mixture of helium and oxygen gases with a
pressure of 8.00 atm. If the oxygen has a partial
pressure of 1280 mm Hg, what is the partial
pressure of the helium?
1) 520 mm Hg
2) 2040 mm Hg
3) 4800 mm Hg

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Solution

3) 4800 mm Hg
PTotal = 8.00 atm x 760 mm Hg = 6080 mm Hg
1 atm
PTotal = PO + PHe
2

PHe = PTotal - PO2

PHe = 6080 mm Hg - 1280 mm Hg

= 4800 mm Hg

10
Gases Collected Over Water

A gas produced in the

Laboratory,
• Usually contains
water vapor
• PT = P water + P gas

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Gases Collected Over Water

The partial pressure of a

gas collected over water
is obtained by
subtracting the vapor
pressure of water.

12
Learning Check

The decomposition of KClO3 produces O2 gas and

solid KCl. If 124 mL of O2 is collected over water at
762 mm Hg and 20.0C, how many moles of O2
were produced?
2KClO3(s) 2KCl(s) + 3O2(g)

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Solution

Partial pressure water at 20.C = 18 mm Hg

PT = P water + P gas

758 mm Hg = 18 mm Hg + PO2
PO2 = 758 mm Hg - 18 mm Hg = 740. mm Hg

PV = nRT
n = PV = (740. mm Hg)(0.124 L) = 0.00502 mol O2
RT (62.4 L mm Hg)(293 K)
mol K
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Gases We Breathe

The air we breathe:

• Is a gas mixture
• Contains mostly N2
and O2 and small
amounts of other
gases

15
Blood Gases

• In the lungs, O2 enters the blood, while CO2 from the

blood is released.
• In the tissues, O2 enters the cells, which release CO2
into the blood.

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Blood Gases

• In the body, cells use up O2 and give off CO2.

• O2 flows into the tissues because the partial
pressure of O2 is higher (100 mm Hg) in
oxygenated blood and lower (<30 mm Hg) in the
tissues.
• CO2 flows out of the tissues because the partial
pressure of CO2 is higher (>50 mm Hg) in the
tissues and lower (40 mm Hg) in the blood.

19
Gas Exchange During Breathing

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