Which of the following should have the largest Henry's law constant (kh) in water?
Ar
CO2
CO
CH3CH3
Xe
The answer is CO
actually that is wrong. i put that as my answer choice as first too.
how can I find the solubility of a gas?
To determine which compound should have the largest Henry's law constant (kh) in water, we need to understand the factors that affect kh. Henry's law states that at a constant temperature, the solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid. So, a higher kh value indicates a greater solubility of the gas in water.
The key factor that affects the kh value is the nature of the gas molecule. Generally, the larger the molecule and the weaker the intermolecular forces, the lower the kh value will be.
Looking at the options provided:
- Ar (argon) is a noble gas with a molecular formula of Ar, consisting of single atoms. Noble gases are known for having weak intermolecular forces due to their full electron shells, so Ar will have a relatively low kh value.
- CO2 (carbon dioxide) is composed of one carbon atom bonded to two oxygen atoms. CO2 has stronger intermolecular forces compared to noble gases because it can form weak hydrogen bonds. However, it is still smaller than the next two compounds.
- CO (carbon monoxide) consists of one carbon atom bonded to one oxygen atom. It is smaller than CO2, yet it has a stronger dipole moment due to the polar bond between carbon and oxygen atoms. This results in stronger intermolecular forces, making CO more soluble in water than CO2.
- CH3CH3 (ethane) is an organic compound composed of two carbon atoms bonded together with six hydrogen atoms. Ethane is significantly larger than CO2 and CO, and it lacks polar bonds or functional groups that can form hydrogen bonds. As a result, its intermolecular forces are weaker, giving it a higher kh value than CO or CO2.
- Xe (xenon) is another noble gas, similar to Ar. It consists of single atoms, and like other noble gases, it has weak intermolecular forces and a relatively low kh value.
Based on the information above, we can conclude that CH3CH3 (ethane) should have the largest Henry's law constant (kh) in water among the given options.
I would think CO2 because CO2 reacts with water to form H2CO3 and the corresponding ions, HCO3^- and CO3^-2 and H^+.
CO2 + H2O ==> H2CO3 ==>H^+ + HCO3^-
HCO3^- ==> H^+ + CO3^-2.
I look up the molarity of CO2, CO, and Ar and CO2 was the highest. The other two weren't listed.