What volume is occupied by 0.963 mol of #CO_2# at 300.9 K and 913 mmHg?

1 Answer
Aug 11, 2016

#V=(nRT)/P# #~=20L#

Explanation:

The only difficulty in solving this problem is getting the appropriate units. The quoted units of pressure are unfortunate. We know that #1# #atm# #-=# #760*mm*Hg#; i.e. that #1*atm# will support a column of mercury #760*mm# high. Thus #P# #=# #(913*mm*Hg)/(760*mm*Hg*atm^-1)# #=# #1.20*atm# (and this measurement should have been quoted in the problem). If you measured pressures with such a mercury column you would end up getting mercury all over the laboratory, so whoever set this question was ignorant, and deserves a bollocking.

Given appropriate units of pressure,

#V=(0.963*molxx0.0821*L*atm*K^-1*mol^-1xx300.9K)/(1.20*atm)# #=# #??L#