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Ch.6 - Gases
Tro - Chemistry: A Molecular Approach 6th Edition
Tro6th EditionChemistry: A Molecular ApproachISBN: 9780137832217Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 6, Problem 132

A mixture of 8.0 g CH4 and 8.0 g Xe is placed in a container and the total pressure is found to be 0.44 atm. Determine the partial pressure of CH4.

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1
Calculate the number of moles of CH4 using its molar mass (16.04 g/mol).
Calculate the number of moles of Xe using its molar mass (131.29 g/mol).
Determine the total number of moles in the mixture by adding the moles of CH4 and Xe.
Use the ideal gas law to find the mole fraction of CH4: \( \text{Mole fraction of CH4} = \frac{\text{moles of CH4}}{\text{total moles}} \).
Calculate the partial pressure of CH4 using its mole fraction and the total pressure: \( P_{\text{CH4}} = \text{Mole fraction of CH4} \times \text{Total pressure} \).

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Key Concepts

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

Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures

Dalton's Law states that in a mixture of gases, the total pressure exerted is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas. Each gas in the mixture behaves independently, contributing to the total pressure based on its mole fraction and the total number of moles present.
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Mole Fraction

The mole fraction is a way of expressing the concentration of a component in a mixture. It is calculated by dividing the number of moles of the component by the total number of moles of all components in the mixture. This value is crucial for determining the partial pressure of each gas using Dalton's Law.
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Ideal Gas Law

The Ideal Gas Law relates the pressure, volume, temperature, and number of moles of a gas through the equation PV = nRT. This law helps in understanding the behavior of gases under various conditions and is essential for calculating the partial pressures when the total pressure and the amounts of gases are known.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

A mixture of CO(g) and O2(g) in a 1.0-L container at 1.0×103 K has a total pressure of 2.2 atm. After some time, the total pressure falls to 1.9 atm as the result of the formation of CO2. Determine the mass (in grams) of CO2 that forms.

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Textbook Question

A catalytic converter in an automobile uses a palladium or platinum catalyst (a substance that increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed by the reaction) to convert carbon monoxide gas to carbon dioxide according to the reaction: 2 CO(g) + O2(g) → 2 CO2(g) A chemist researching the effectiveness of a new catalyst combines a 2.0:1.0 mole ratio mixture of carbon monoxide and oxygen gas (respectively) over the catalyst in a 2.45-L flask at a total pressure of 745 torr and a temperature of 552 °C. When the reaction is complete, the pressure in the flask has dropped to 552 torr. What percentage of the carbon monoxide was converted to carbon dioxide?

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Textbook Question

In a given diffusion apparatus, 15.0 mL of HBr gas diffuses in 1.0 min. In the same apparatus and under the same conditions, 20.3 mL of an unknown gas diffuses in 1.0 min. The unknown gas is a hydrocarbon. Find its molecular formula.

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Textbook Question

A sample of N2O3(g) has a pressure of 0.017 atm. The temperature (in K) is doubled and the N2O3 undergoes complete decomposition to NO2(g) and NO(g). Find the total pressure of the mixture of gases assuming constant volume and no additional temperature change.

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Textbook Question

Binary compounds of alkali metals and hydrogen react with water to liberate H2(g). The H2 from the reaction of a sample of NaH with an excess of water fills a volume of 0.490 L above the water. The temperature of the gas is 35 °C and the total pressure is 758 mmHg. Determine the mass of H2 liberated and the mass of NaH that reacted.

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