The composition of earths dry atmosphere is 78.8% N_2, 21.0% O_2, and 1.00% Ar. Using the atospheric pressure recorded, which was 763 mm Hg with and an ambient temperature of 25 C, how do you calculate the partial pressures of these three gases?

1 Answer
Aug 14, 2016

The partial pressure of each gas is simply the individual percentage of the measured pressure.

Explanation:

And thus P_"dinitrogen" = 78.8%xx763*mm*Hg.

And P_"dioxygen" = 21.0%xx763*mm*Hg.........etc.

And the sum of the individual partial pressures is necessarily the overall pressure, P=763*mm*Hg