If N2 is added to a balloon that contains O2 (partial pressure 460 mm Hg) and CO2 (partial pressure 110 mm Hg) to give a total pressure of 830 mm Hg, what is the partial pressure of each gas in the final mixture?
To determine the partial pressure of each gas in the final mixture, we can use Dalton's law of partial pressures. According to this law, the total pressure exerted by a mixture of non-reactive gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases.
In this case, we have three gases: N2, O2, and CO2. Let's denote the partial pressures of N2, O2, and CO2 as P(N2), P(O2), and P(CO2) respectively.
Based on the given information, we know that the initial partial pressure of O2 is 460 mm Hg and the partial pressure of CO2 is 110 mm Hg. The total pressure of the mixture is 830 mm Hg.
So, we can write the equation:
P(N2) + P(O2) + P(CO2) = 830 mm Hg
Since we don't have the partial pressure of N2, we need to solve the equation to find its value.
To do this, we can rearrange the equation as:
P(N2) = 830 mm Hg - P(O2) - P(CO2)
Substituting the given values, we get:
P(N2) = 830 mm Hg - 460 mm Hg - 110 mm Hg
P(N2) = 260 mm Hg
Therefore, the partial pressure of N2 in the final mixture is 260 mm Hg.
Now, we can find the partial pressures of O2 and CO2:
P(O2) = 460 mm Hg
P(CO2) = 110 mm Hg
So, the partial pressure of each gas in the final mixture is as follows:
N2: 260 mm Hg
O2: 460 mm Hg
CO2: 110 mm Hg