High School

A 6.25 L tank holds helium gas at a pressure of 1759 psi. A second 6.25 L tank holds oxygen at a pressure of 467.7 psi. The two gases are mixed in a 6.25 L tank. If the temperature remains the same throughout the process, what is the pressure of the gas mixture in the tank? Assume ideal gas behavior.

Answer :

Final answer:

The final pressure of the helium and oxygen gas mixture in the 6.25 L tank, applying Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures, is 2226.7 psi.

Explanation:

To calculate the final pressure of a gas mixture in a tank, you can use Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures which states that the total pressure of a gas mixture is the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas in the mixture. Here, we assume ideal gas behavior.

In this case:

The pressure of helium gas in the first tank: 1759 psi

The pressure of oxygen gas in the second tank: 467.7 psi

Volume of the tank where gases are mixed: 6.25 L (the same for each gas)

Since both tanks initially contain the same volume and are mixed into a tank of the same volume without a temperature change, we don't need to worry about the volume and temperature terms in the ideal gas law.

The final pressure of the mixed gases is simply:

Ptotal = PHе + PO₂
= 1759 psi + 467.7 psi
= 2226.7 psi

The final pressure of the gas mixture in the tank is 2226.7 psi.

Final answer:

The total pressure of the gas mixture, which consists of helium at 1759 psi and oxygen at 467.7 psi mixed in a 6.25 L tank, is 2226.7 psi. This is calculated under the assumption of ideal gas behavior and constant temperature.

Explanation:

The problem is to find the total pressure of the gas mixture when helium gas at 1759 psi and oxygen gas at 467.7 psi are mixed in equal volumes of 6.25 L. 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 gas.

First, we identify the initial pressures of the individual gases:
- Helium gas pressure: 1759 psi
- Oxygen gas pressure: 467.7 psi

The total pressure when these gases are mixed will simply be the sum of the two pressures:
Total pressure = Pressure of helium + Pressure of oxygen
Total pressure = 1759 psi + 467.7 psi
Total pressure = 2226.7 psi

Therefore, after mixing the helium and oxygen in the same 6.25 L tank, the final pressure in the tank will be 2226.7 psi, assuming ideal gas behavior and constant temperature.