Question

Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are in a closed container. The oxygen has a partial pressure of 15.5mmHG, the nitrogen = 45.8mmHg and the total pressure of all of the gases is 83.4mmHg. What is the partial pressure of the carbon dioxide?

Answer 1

The partial pressure of carbon dioxide is 22.1mmHg.

Step-by-step explanation:

The total pressure is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of all the gases in the container:

`P_T=P_(N_2)+P_(O_2)+P_(CO_2)`

So, replacing the total pressure (83.4mmHg), the partial pressure of oxygen (15.5mmHg) and the partial pressure of nitrogen (45.8mmHg), we can calculate the partial pressure of the carbon dioxide:

`\begin{gathered} 83.4mmHg=45.8mmHg+15.5mmHg+P_(CO_2) \\ 83.4mmHg=61.3mmHg+P_(CO_2) \\ 83.4mmHg-61.3mmHg=P_(CO_2) \\ 22.1mmHg=P_(CO_2) \end{gathered}`

Finally, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide is 22.1mmHg.