Question

A common anesthetic in dentistry known as nitronox consists of a mixture of dinitrogen oxide, n2o, and oxygen gas, o2, which is administered through an inhaler over the nose. If the anesthetic mixture has a total pressure of 740 mmhg, and the partial pressure of the oxygen is 370 mmhg, what is the partial pressure, in torr, of the dinitrogen oxide?

Answer 1

Anesthetic in dentistry  consists of a mixture of dinitrogen oxide (N₂O) and oxygen gas (O₂), which is administered through an inhaler over the nose. Total pressure of the mixture ($P_{total}$) is sum of partial pressure of N₂O ($p_{N_{2}O }$) and partial pressure of O₂, ($p_{O_{2} }$).

$P_{total}=p_{N_{2}O } + p_{O_{2} }$

$P_{total}= 740 mmHg, p_{O_{2} }$=370 mmHg

So, $p_{N_{2}O }$= (740-370) mmHg= 370 mmHg=370 torr

Hence, partial pressure of N₂O is 370 torr.

As, 1mmHg= 1 torr.