Exhaled breathe is a mixture of Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor. What is the partial pressure of CO2(torr) in exhaled breathe at 37.0 degree C if the partial pressure of Oxygen is 116 torrr and that of nitrogen is 659 torr. Assume the atmospheric pressure is 1.00 atm
To find the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2) in exhaled breath, we need to use Dalton's law of partial pressures. According to Dalton's law, the total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas.
First, we need to convert atmospheric pressure from atm to torr. Since 1 atm = 760 torr, the atmospheric pressure is 1.00 * 760 = 760 torr.
Now, we can calculate the partial pressure of CO2 in exhaled breath:
Total pressure = Partial pressure of oxygen + Partial pressure of nitrogen + Partial pressure of CO2
Given:
Partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) = 116 torr
Partial pressure of nitrogen (PN2) = 659 torr
Partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) = ?
Using Dalton's law:
Total pressure = PO2 + PN2 + PCO2
Since the total pressure is the atmospheric pressure, we have:
760 torr = 116 torr + 659 torr + PCO2
Simplifying the equation, we find:
PCO2 = 760 torr - 116 torr - 659 torr
PCO2 = -15 torr
The partial pressure of carbon dioxide (CO2) in exhaled breath at 37.0°C is -15 torr. However, negative pressure values are not physically meaningful in this context. It is important to note that the partial pressure of CO2 in exhaled breath is usually positive and typically ranges from 35 to 45 torr. If you obtained a negative value, it may be due to calculation errors or incorrect assumptions.