Question
Dry air is 78.1% nitrogen. What is the partial pressure of nitrogen when the atmospheric pressure is 1.01×105 N/m21.01 \times 10^5 \textrm{ N/m}^2?
Question by OpenStax is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Final Answer

7.89×104 N/m27.89 \times 10^4 \textrm{ N/m}^2

Solution video

OpenStax College Physics, Chapter 13, Problem 49 (Problems & Exercises)

OpenStax College Physics, Chapter 13, Problem 49 (PE) video thumbnail

In order to watch this solution you need to have a subscription.

Start free trial Log in
vote with a rating of votes with an average rating of .

Calculator Screenshots

  • OpenStax College Physics, Chapter 13, Problem 49 (PE) calculator screenshot 1
Video Transcript
This is College Physics Answers with Shaun Dychko. The total pressure of a gas mixture is the total of the partial pressures of each of the component gases. The partial pressure of each gas is going to be the fraction of the total volume that that gas makes multiplied by the total pressure. So we're told that nitrogen takes a volume of 0.781 or 78.1 percent of the total volume of air is nitrogen. So we can multiply that percentage by the total pressure to find the partial pressure of nitrogen. So we have 0.781 times 1.01 times ten to the five newtons per square meter atmospheric pressure. This give 7.89 times ten to the four newtons per square meter is the partial pressure of the nitrogen in the air.