Calculate the partial pressure of helium in a 1.00 L flask that contains equal numbers of moles He, Ne, and Ar at a total pressure of 5.26atm
To calculate the partial pressure of helium in the flask, we first need to determine the mole fraction of helium in the mixture.
Mole fraction (X) is the ratio of the number of moles of a specific gas to the total number of moles of all the gases present in the mixture.
In this case, we are told that the flask contains equal numbers of moles of helium (He), neon (Ne), and argon (Ar). Therefore, the mole fraction of helium (X_He) is given by:
X_He = (moles of helium) / (total moles)
Since equal numbers of moles of each gas are present, the mole fraction of helium is:
X_He = (moles of helium) / (moles of helium + moles of neon + moles of argon)
To find the mole fraction of helium, we need to know the number of moles of each gas present in the flask. However, this information is not given in the question.
Therefore, without knowing the actual number of moles of each gas, we cannot calculate the mole fraction of helium or the partial pressure of helium.
If you have the number of moles of each gas, you can proceed to calculate the mole fractions and then derive the partial pressure of helium by multiplying its mole fraction by the total pressure.
If each gas has an equal number of mols then each gas must have the same partial pressure.
Ptotal = pHe + pAr + pNe = 5.26