A tank contains 1.0 mol argon, 1.0 mol helium, 3.0 mol neon, and 5.0 mol xenon gases. What is the partial pressure of the neon gas in the tank if the total pressure is 8.7 atm?
To find the partial pressure of the neon gas in the tank, we need to use the concept of mole fraction.
Mole fraction is a way to express the concentration of a gas in a mixture. It is defined as the ratio of the number of moles of a particular gas to the total number of moles of all gases in the mixture.
First, we need to calculate the total number of moles in the mixture. Adding up the number of moles for all gases, we get:
Total moles = 1.0 mol (argon) + 1.0 mol (helium) + 3.0 mol (neon) + 5.0 mol (xenon) = 10.0 mol
Next, we calculate the mole fraction of neon gas:
Mole fraction of neon = Moles of neon / Total moles
Mole fraction of neon = 3.0 mol / 10.0 mol = 0.3
Now, we use the mole fraction to find the partial pressure of neon gas:
Partial pressure of neon = Mole fraction of neon * Total pressure
Partial pressure of neon = 0.3 * 8.7 atm = 2.61 atm
Therefore, the partial pressure of the neon gas in the tank is 2.61 atm.