College

When a chemist collects hydrogen gas over water, she ends up with a mixture of hydrogen and water vapor in her collecting bottle. If the pressure in the collecting bottle is 97.1 kilopascals and the vapor pressure of the water is 3.2 kilopascals, what is the partial pressure of the hydrogen?

A. 93.9 kPa
B. 98.1 kPa
C. 100.34 kPa
D. 104.5 kPa

Answer :

To find the partial pressure of the hydrogen gas in the mixture, we can use Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures. According to this law, the total pressure of a gas mixture is the sum of the partial pressures of each component gas.

Here's how you can calculate it step-by-step:

1. Identify the given pressures:
- The total pressure in the collecting bottle is given as 97.1 kilopascals (kPa).
- The vapor pressure of the water is given as 3.2 kilopascals (kPa).

2. Apply Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures:
[tex]\[
\text{Total Pressure} = \text{Partial Pressure of Hydrogen} + \text{Vapor Pressure of Water}
\][/tex]

3. Rearrange the formula to solve for the partial pressure of hydrogen:
[tex]\[
\text{Partial Pressure of Hydrogen} = \text{Total Pressure} - \text{Vapor Pressure of Water}
\][/tex]

4. Substitute the known values:
[tex]\[
\text{Partial Pressure of Hydrogen} = 97.1 \, \text{kPa} - 3.2 \, \text{kPa} = 93.9 \, \text{kPa}
\][/tex]

Therefore, the partial pressure of the hydrogen is 93.9 kilopascals. The correct answer is A: 93.9 kPa.