What is the name of the law which states that in a mixture of gases, the total pressure is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases?

The correct answer is Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures.

Key Points

• Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures states that the total pressure exerted by a mixture of non-reacting gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of individual gases.
• This law was formulated by the English chemist John Dalton in the early 19th century.
• Dalton's Law is mathematically represented as P_total = P₁ + P₂ + ... + P_n, where P_total is the total pressure and P₁, P₂, ..., P_n are the partial pressures of the individual gases.
• The law assumes that each gas in the mixture behaves ideally and occupies the same volume.
• Dalton's Law is crucial in applications such as breathing gas mixtures for scuba diving and industrial gas production.

Additional Information

• Partial Pressure
  • Partial pressure is the pressure that a single component of a mixture of gases would exert if it were alone in the container.
  • It is proportional to the mole fraction of the gas in the mixture.
  • Partial pressures are additive, as described by Dalton's Law.
• Ideal Gas Law
  • The ideal gas law is given by the equation PV = nRT.
  • It relates the pressure (P), volume (V), and temperature (T) of an ideal gas, with n representing the number of moles and R the universal gas constant.
  • Dalton's Law assumes that gases in the mixture behave according to the ideal gas law.
• John Dalton
  • John Dalton was an English chemist, physicist, and meteorologist.
  • He is best known for his work in developing atomic theory and his research into color blindness.
  • Dalton's contributions to science include the formulation of Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures.
• Applications of Dalton's Law
  • Dalton's Law is used in calculating the concentrations of gases in chemical reactions.
  • It helps in understanding the behavior of gases in different environmental conditions.
  • The law is also applied in medical fields, such as anesthesia and respiratory therapy.