Question

A common anesthetic in dentistry known as nitronox consists of a mixture of dinitrogen oxide, n2o, and oxygen gas, o2, which is administered through an inhaler over the nose. If the anesthetic mixture has a total pressure of 740 mmhg, and the partial pressure of the oxygen is 370 mmhg, what is the partial pressure, in torr, of the dinitrogen oxide?

Answer 1

Anesthetic in dentistry consists of a mixture of dinitrogen oxide (N₂O) and oxygen gas (O₂), which is administered through an inhaler over the nose. Total pressure of the mixture (
`P_(total)`) is sum of partial pressure of N₂O (
`p_{N_(2)O }`) and partial pressure of O₂, (
`p_{O_(2) }`).

`P_(total)=p_{N_(2)O } + p_{O_(2) }`

`P_(total)= 740 mmHg, p_{O_(2) }`=370 mmHg

So,
`p_{N_(2)O }`= (740-370) mmHg= 370 mmHg=370 torr

Hence, partial pressure of N₂O is 370 torr.

As, 1mmHg= 1 torr.