Ch.10 - Gases

Problem 6b

Chapter 10, Problem 6b

The apparatus shown here has two gas-filled containers and one empty container, all attached to a hollow horizontal tube. Assume that the containers are of equal volume and ignore the volume of the connecting tube. Which gas has the greater partial pressure after the valves are opened?

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the number of gas particles in each container. The left container has green particles, and the right container has brown particles.

Count the number of green particles in the left container and the number of brown particles in the right container.

Assume that the containers are of equal volume and that the temperature is constant.

Use the ideal gas law, PV = nRT, to understand that the pressure is directly proportional to the number of particles (n) when volume (V) and temperature (T) are constant.

Compare the number of particles in each container to determine which gas has the greater partial pressure after the valves are opened.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.

Video duration:

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Partial Pressure

Partial pressure is the pressure exerted by a single gas in a mixture of gases. According to Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures, the total pressure of a gas mixture is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas. This concept is crucial for understanding how gases behave in a shared volume, especially when valves are opened to allow gas to mix.

Gas Laws

Gas laws describe the relationships between pressure, volume, temperature, and the number of moles of a gas. The Ideal Gas Law (PV=nRT) is particularly relevant here, as it relates these variables in a way that helps predict how gases will behave when conditions change, such as when the valves in the apparatus are opened.

Mole Fraction

Mole fraction is a way of expressing the concentration of a component in a mixture. It is defined as the ratio of the number of moles of a specific gas to the total number of moles of all gases present. Understanding mole fraction is essential for determining the partial pressures of the gases in the containers after the valves are opened, as it directly influences the distribution of pressure in the system.

Recommended video:

Guided course

00:36

Mole Fraction Formula

Related Practice

Textbook Question

Imagine that the reaction 2 CO1g2 + O21g2¡2 CO21g2 occurs in a container that has a piston that moves to maintain a constant pressure when the reaction occurs at constant temperature. Which of the following statements describes how the volume of the container changes due to the reaction: (a) the volume increases by 50%, (b) the volume increases by 33%, (c) the volume remains constant, (d) the volume decreases by 33%, (e) the volume decreases by 50%.

620

views

Textbook Question

The apparatus shown here has two gas-filled containers and one empty container, all attached to a hollow horizontal tube. When the valves are opened and the gases are allowed to mix at constant temperature, what is the distribution of atoms in each container?

466

views

Textbook Question

Consider the following graph. (a) If curves A and B refer to two different gases, He and O2, at the same temperature, which curve corresponds to He?

599

views

Textbook Question

Consider the following graph. (b) If A and B refer to the same gas at two different temperatures, which represents the higher temperature?

333

views