Question

Atmospheric pressure atop Mt. Everest is 3.30×10⁴ N/m². What is the partial pressure of oxygen there if it is 20.9% of the air?

Answer 1

To find the partial pressure of oxygen on top of Mount Everest, we can use Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures. Dalton's Law states that the total pressure of a gas mixture is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of its individual gases. In this case, we're looking for the partial pressure of oxygen (O2).

Given:

Total atmospheric pressure (P_total) = 3.30 × 10⁴ N/m²

Percentage of oxygen in the air (O2) = 20.9%

First, we need to calculate the partial pressure of oxygen (P_O2):

P_O2 = (Percentage of O2 in air) × (Total atmospheric pressure)

P_O2 = 0.209 × (3.30 × 10⁴ N/m²)

Now, calculate P_O2:

P_O2 = 0.209 × 3.30 × 10⁴ N/m²

P_O2 = 6897 × 10 N/m²

P_O2 = 6.897 × 10⁵ N/m²

So, the partial pressure of oxygen on top of Mount Everest is approximately 6.897 × 10⁵ N/m².