Question

In normal air, the partial pressure of oxygen is 0.18 atm, the partial pressure of nitrogen is 0.77 atm, and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide is 0.05 atm. Scuba divers often use tanks with an enhanced mixture of only oxygen and nitrogen. If the total pressure in the scuba tank is 3.33 atm and the partial pressure of oxygen is 1.20 atm, what is the partial pressure of nitrogen?

____ atm

Answer 1

First, we can find the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the scuba tank by subtracting the sum of partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen from the total pressure:

partial pressure of CO2 = total pressure - partial pressure of O2 - partial pressure of N2

partial pressure of CO2 = 3.33 atm - 1.20 atm - (unknown partial pressure of N2)

partial pressure of CO2 = 2.13 atm - (unknown partial pressure of N2)

Since the enhanced mixture only contains oxygen and nitrogen, the sum of their partial pressures should equal the total pressure:

partial pressure of O2 + partial pressure of N2 = total pressure

1.20 atm + partial pressure of N2 = 3.33 atm

partial pressure of N2 = 3.33 atm - 1.20 atm

partial pressure of N2 = 2.13 atm

Now we can substitute this value into the equation we found for the partial pressure of CO2:

partial pressure of CO2 = 2.13 atm - partial pressure of N2

partial pressure of CO2 = 2.13 atm - 0.77 atm

partial pressure of CO2 = 1.36 atm

Therefore, the partial pressure of nitrogen in the scuba tank is 0.77 atm.

Step-by-step explanation: