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SCUBA divers use Dalton's law all the time. The air in their tank is a mixture of gases. The pressure around the tank changes as the diver descends and ascends, and the pressure in the tank changes as the diver breathes taking the gas out of the tank. If a diver has a tank with the following gas mixture and pressures at the end of their dive, what is the total pressure in their tank?

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Answer:To answer this question using Dalton's law, we need to know the partial pressures of each gas in the mixture. Dalton's law states that the total pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each gas in the mixture.

Let's say the diver has a tank with the following gas mixture:

Oxygen (O2): 21%

Nitrogen (N2): 79%

And the pressures in the tank at the end of the dive are:

Oxygen (O2) pressure: 500 psi

Nitrogen (N2) pressure: 2000 psi

To find the total pressure in the tank, we need to calculate the partial pressure of each gas in the mixture. We can do this by multiplying the percentage of each gas by the total pressure in the tank:

Oxygen (O2) partial pressure = 0.21 x 2500 psi = 525 psi

Nitrogen (N2) partial pressure = 0.79 x 2500 psi = 1975 psi

Then, we can use Dalton's law to find the total pressure in the tank:

Total pressure = Oxygen partial pressure + Nitrogen partial pressure

Total pressure = 525 psi + 1975 psi

Total pressure = 2500 psi

Therefore, the total pressure in the tank is 2500 psi.

Step-by-step explanation:

User Esteban Filardi
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7.4k points
6 votes

To answer this question using Dalton's law, we need to know the partial pressures of each gas in the mixture. Dalton's law states that the total pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each gas in the mixture.

Let's say the diver has a tank with the following gas mixture:

Oxygen (O2): 21%

Nitrogen (N2): 79%

And the pressures in the tank at the end of the dive are:

Oxygen (O2) pressure: 500 psi

Nitrogen (N2) pressure: 2000 psi

To find the total pressure in the tank, we need to calculate the partial pressure of each gas in the mixture. We can do this by multiplying the percentage of each gas by the total pressure in the tank:

Oxygen (O2) partial pressure = 0.21 x 2500 psi = 525 psi

Nitrogen (N2) partial pressure = 0.79 x 2500 psi = 1975 psi

Then, we can use Dalton's law to find the total pressure in the tank:

Total pressure = Oxygen partial pressure + Nitrogen partial pressure

Total pressure = 525 psi + 1975 psi

Total pressure = 2500 psi

Therefore, the total pressure in the tank is 2500 psi.

User Tianyang Li
by
8.6k points