Question

Whitney's tidal volume, which is the volume of air that she inhales and exhales, was 0.54 l. Her tidal volume was measured at a body temperature of 37°C and a pressure of 749 mmHg. How many moles of nitrogen does she inhale in one breath if air contains 78

Answer 1

The number of moles of nitrogen inhaled in one breath can be calculated using the ideal gas law by finding the total moles of air inhaled and then multiplying by 78%, which is the approximate percentage of nitrogen in the air.

Step-by-step explanation:

A student's question is about calculating the number of moles of nitrogen inhaled in one breath at specific body temperature and pressure conditions, using the ideal gas law. To solve this problem, we will assume that the conditions stated in the student's question also apply to a normal breath at room temperature. Therefore, by using the ideal gas law, PV = nRT, where P is pressure, V is volume, n is the number of moles, R is the universal gas constant (0.0821 L·atm/K·mol), and T is temperature in Kelvin, we can calculate the moles of air we take in with every breath. To find the moles of nitrogen, we multiply the total moles of air by the percentage of nitrogen in the air, which is 78%.

Let's assume the volume of a normal breath is 0.50 L, the pressure is 1.0 atm, and the temperature is room temperature of 22°C or 295 K. Calculating the total moles of air using the ideal gas law:

(1.0 atm) (0.50 L) = n(0.0821 L·atm/K·mol)(295 K)

Simplifying and solving for n, we will have the total moles of air inhaled in one breath. To find specifically the moles of nitrogen, multiply the moles of air by 78%