A sample of air from the basement of a home is found to
contain 8.3 ppm of radon. What is the partial pressure of radon
in the basement if the total pressure is 755 torr?
To find the partial pressure of radon in the basement, we need to first convert the concentration of radon from parts per million (ppm) to a fraction, and then use this fraction to calculate the partial pressure.
1. Convert ppm to a fraction:
Since 1 ppm = 1 part per million = 1 out of 1 million parts, we can express the concentration of radon as a fraction by dividing by 1 million:
8.3 ppm = 8.3/1,000,000
2. Calculate the partial pressure of radon:
The partial pressure of radon is the fraction of radon multiplied by the total pressure. Since the total pressure is given as 755 torr, we can calculate the partial pressure as follows:
Partial pressure of radon = (8.3/1,000,000) * 755 torr
Calculating this value will give us the partial pressure of radon in the basement.
I assume that is 8.3 ppm v/v; if so I would convert that to percent.
(8.3E-6 L/10^6 L)* 100 = mole percent = about 8.3E-10%. Convert that to a fraction (divide by 100) to give mole fraction Rn_, then
pRn = XRnPtotal