Partial pressures and mole fractions

In summary, at a solution of ethanol and chloroform at 45°C with a mole fraction of ethanol at 0.9900, the vapor pressure is 177.95 torr. Using the ideal dilute assumption, the partial pressures of the gases in equilibrium with the solution can be calculated to be 171.0324 torr for ethanol and 6.9175 torr for chloroform. The mole fractions in the vapor phase can then be found to be 0.961 for ethanol and 0.039 for chloroform. The Henry's Law constant for chloroform in ethanol at 45°C is 691.75 torr, using the partial pressure of chloroform found in
  • #1
johnny b
8
0

Homework Statement


A solution of ethanol (eth) and chloroform (chl) at 45°C with xeth = 0.9900 has a vapor pressure of 177.95 torr. At this high dilution of chloroform, the solution can be assumed to be ideally dilute. The vapor pressure of pure ethanol at 45°C is 172.76 torr.
(a) Find the partial pressures of the gases in equilibrium with the solution
(b) Find the mole fractions in the vapor phase
(c) Find the Henry’s Law constant for chloroform in ethanol at 45°C
(d) Predict the vapor pressure and vapor-phase mole fractions at 45°C for a chloroform-ethanol solution with xeth = 0.9800. Compare with the experimental values P = 183.38 torr and =0.9242.


Homework Equations


partial pressure = total pressure x mole fraction
X(gas) = P / P(total)
Total vapor pressure = (X(eth)*P(eth)) + (X(chl)*P(chl))
K=P/x (henry's law constant)

The Attempt at a Solution


For part a, if I use the equation partial pressure = total pressure x mole fraction I get
p(eth)=0.99(177.95) --> p(eth)=171.0324 torr. x(chl)= 1-.99=.01
p(chl)=.01(177.95) --> (chl)=1.7276 torr.
is this right?

For part b assuming part a is right,
X(eth) = P(eth) / P(total)
x(eth)=(171.0324)/177.95 = 0.961
x(chl) 1-.961 = .039

part c:
Total vapor pressure = (X(eth)*P(eth)) + (X(chl)*P(chl))
177.95torr = (0.99*172.76) + (.01*P(chl))
P(chl)=691.76 torr = 0.910atm
K=P(chl)/x
K=0.910 atm/.01 = 91 atm <--- the x that I use is .01 right? not the .039 that I found in part b?

d:
This one I'm not sure about. The only thing I could think of is from the given part:
177.95 torr / .9900 = p / .9800
then p= 176.15 but this doesn't seem right and I don't know how to find the vapor-phase mole fractions

Sorry it's so much but I really want to make sure I'm doing this right. Any help is appreciated!
 
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  • #2
johnny b said:
partial pressure = total pressure x mole fraction

Not total pressure, but pressure above pure substance.
 
  • #3
Then how do I find partial pressure? And are the rest of the parts right? Thanks for the reply
 
  • #4
You are given pressure over a pure substance in the question.
 
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  • #5
Oh ok so for part a I would use 172.76 instead of 177.95?
p(eth)=0.99(172.76)=171.0324 torr. x(chl)= 1-.99=.01
p(chl)=.01(172.76)=1.7276 torr. The answers came out the same I think I accidentally typed the wrong number in the calculator the first time..
 
  • #6
p(chl) is wrong. You can't calculate partial pressure of the substance over solution using pressure over other pure substance.

However, you know total pressure over mixture and you have calculated partial pressure for one of two components.
 
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  • #7
Oh yea duh I should have known that.
p(eth) = 171.0324 torr
Total pressure = partial pressure(eth) + partial pressure(chl)
177.95 = 171.0324 - p
p(chl) = 6.9175 torr

So fixing the other parts,
For part b,
X(eth) = P(eth) / P(total)
x(eth)=(171.0324)/177.95 = 0.961
x(chl) 1-.961 = .039

part c:
I use the partial pressure found in part a
K=P(chl)/x
K=6.9175 torr/.01 = 691.75 torr <--- the x that I use is .01 right? not the .039 that I found in part b since that was for the vapor phase?

d:
This one I'm not sure about. The only thing I could think of is from the given part:
177.95 torr / .9900 = p / .9800
then p= 176.15 but this doesn't seem right and I don't know how to find the vapor-phase mole fractions
 
  • #8
Seems like approach to bc is OK, although I just skimmed.

d is just a direct application of both constants - one that was given and one that you have calculated.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #9
for part d I'm given x(eth)=0.9800 and I calculated x(eth)=0.961
I'm looking for the vapor pressure and vapor-phase mole fractions.. I'm really not sure how to apply the two constants together
 

Related to Partial pressures and mole fractions

What is the difference between partial pressure and mole fraction?

Partial pressure refers to the pressure exerted by a particular gas in a mixture, while mole fraction is the ratio of moles of a particular gas to the total moles of all gases in the mixture.

How do you calculate partial pressure?

To calculate partial pressure, you can use the ideal gas law, which states that the pressure of a gas is equal to the number of moles of the gas multiplied by the universal gas constant and the temperature in Kelvin.

What is Dalton's law of partial pressures?

Dalton's law of partial pressures states that the total pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas in the mixture.

How does temperature affect partial pressure?

According to the ideal gas law, as temperature increases, the pressure of a gas will also increase. This means that an increase in temperature will result in an increase in the partial pressure of a gas in a mixture.

Can partial pressure and mole fraction be used interchangeably?

No, partial pressure and mole fraction are two different ways of expressing the composition of a gas mixture. They cannot be used interchangeably, but they are related through the ideal gas law and Dalton's law of partial pressures.

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