A mixture containing 2.53 g each of CH4(g), C2H4(g) and C4H10(g) is contained in a 1.50 L flask at a temperature of 25°C.
How would you calculate the partial pressure of each of the gases in the mixture?

Question

A mixture containing 2.53 g each of CH4(g), C2H4(g) and C4H10(g) is contained in a 1.50 L flask at a temperature of 25°C. 
How would you calculate the partial pressure of each of the gases in the mixture?

Serenity Allen · Accepted Answer

You would calculate the individual pressures of the 3 gases. The total pressure is the sum of the individual pressures.

Avogadro's law also states that the pressure is proportional to the amount (the number or number of moles) of gaseous particles. The above restates Dalton's law of partial pressures, which states that "in a gaseous mixture, the pressure exerted by each component is the same as the pressure it would exert if it alone occupied the container." So #P =(nRT)/V#; #P_1 = (n_1RT)/V#, etc. #P_(TOTAL) = (RT)/V(n_1 + n_2 + n_3)#. You already know the temperature and volume, so all you need to do is figure out how many moles of each gas there are and enter that number into the ideal gas equation.

Olivia Anton · Answer

undefined Use the ideal gas law: PV = nRT
Calculate moles of each gas using their respective molar masses.
Partial pressure of each gas = (moles of gas / total moles) * total pressure.

A mixture containing 2.53 g each of CH4(g), C2H4(g) and C4H10(g) is contained in a 1.50 L flask at a temperature of 25°C. How would you calculate the partial pressure of each of the gases in the mixture?