Question

As one moves up in altitude, the atmospheric pressure decreases. Suppose you hiked to the top of a mountain in Arizona at an altitude of 8000 ft or about 2440 m). The atmospheric pressure is approximately 570 mmHg at that elevation. What would the partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) be on the top of the mountain? PLEASE EXPLAIN AND SHOW YOUR WORK.
A. 160 mm Hg
B. 15.75%
C. The PO2 cannot be calculated from the available information.
D. 120 mm Hg
E. 21%

Answer 1

Answer:

Option C. The PO2 cannot be calculated from the available information

Explanation:

The formula for partial pressure of a gas is.

Partial pressure = Xg . Total Pressure

Where Xg is the molar fraction for the gas.

Molar fraction means moles of gas / total moles

I need this information:

If I know the air density I can assume a volume, and of course a mass of air.

If I know the mass of air, I can know the total moles. Always If I know which gases are compound of air (Of course, oxigen, may be nitrogen, argon, hydrogen). As I know the molar mass of them, and I know in which % are in the mass I got, I can know the moles.

Once I got the total moles and I get the oxigen moles I have to apply

Partial pressure = XO2 . 570mmHg