easykemistry

Monday, 5 January 2026

DALTON’S LAW OF PARTIAL PRESSURE

 DALTON’S LAW OF PARTIAL PRESSURE

This law state that in a mixture of gases which do not react chemically together, the total pressure exerted by the mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressure of the individual gases that make up the mixture.

Mathematically, the law can be expressed as:

     Ptotal = PA + PB +PC........Pn

 

Where Ptotal is the total pressure of the mixture and PA, PB, Pare the partial pressure exerted separately by the individual gases A, B, C that make up the mixture.

The pressure each constituent gas exerts is called partial pressure and is expressed as

Partial pressure of gas A (PA) = Number of moles of gas A  x Ptotal

                              Total number of moles of gas in mixture

 

That is, PA = nA x Ptotal

                    n+ nB + nC

If the gas is collected over water, it is likely to be saturated with water vapour and the total pressure becomes

       Ptotal = Pgas + Pwater vapour

       Pgas = Ptotal – Pwater vapour

 

 

CALCULATION ON THE LAW

A gaseous mixture containing 64g of O2 and 70g of N2 exerts a total pressure of 1.8oatm. What is the partial pressure exerted by oxygen in the mixture?

Solution:

Molar mass of O2 = 16 x 2 = 32gmol-1

Molar mass of N2 = 14 x 2 = 28gmol-1      

Number of mole of O2 = 64g            = 2.0mole
                                       32gmol-1

Number of mole of O2 = 70g     = 2.5mole
                                     28gmol-1

Total number of moles of gases in mixture = 2.0 + 2.5 = 4.5 mole

Partial pressure of O2 = 2.0 x 1.80 = 0.80atm

     THEORY QUESTIONS 

1.     State Dalton’s of partial pressure.

2.     Calculate the pressure at 27oC of 16.0g O2 gas occupying 2.50dm3

3.     A certain mass of hydrogen gas collected over water at 10oC and 760mmHg pressure has     a volume of 37cm3. Calculate the volume when it is dry at s.t.p (Saturated vapour pressure of water at 10oC =1.2mmHg)



 

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