A 1.2-liter tank at a temperature of 27°C contains a mixture of 1.5 moles of oxygen, 1.2 moles of nitrogen, and 1.6 moles of hydrogen. What is the total pressure of the mixture inside the tank?

1 Answer
Jun 5, 2016

Approx. 88*atm

Explanation:

Dalton's law of partial pressures states that in a gaseous mixture, the pressure exerted by a component is the same as it would exert if it alone occupied the container. The total pressure os the sum of the individual partial pressures.

So, there are 4.3 moles of gas occupying the container, and we assume Ideal Gas behaviour:

P=(nRT)/V = (4.3*molxx0.0821*L*atm*K^-1*mol^-1xx300*K)/(1.2*L)

This is quite a high pressure; of course, as you know 1 mol of gas would occupy approx 25*L under standard conditions of 1 atm and 298K.