Question

A mixture of two gases has a total pressure of 6.7 atm. If one gas has a partial pressure of 4.1 atm, what is the partial pressure of the other gas?

Answer 1

The partial pressure of the other gas is `color(brown)(2.6 atm.`

Explanation:

Before we begin let me introduce Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures equation:

Where `P_T` is the total pressure of all gases in the mixture and `P_1`, `P_2`, etc. are the partial pressures of each gas.

Based on what you've given me, we know the total pressure, `P_T`, and one of the partial pressures (I'll just say `P_1`). We want to find `P_2`, so all we have to do is rearrange to equation to obtain the value of the second pressure:

`P_2 = P_T - P_1`

`P_2 = 6.7 atm - 4.1 atm`

Therefore, `P_2` = 2.6 atm