Application of Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressure in the Determination of the Partial Pressure of

Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitrogen in the Atmosphere

Experiment 8A
Alexandra Estelle Pineda, Ramil Joseph P. Pizarro,
Jhon Justin Rotulo, Dana Isabelle A. Segui, Julian P. Soriano
Group #7
2B-BC

Abstract
Air is a mixture of different kinds of gases, with large percentage of Oxygen and
Nitrogen. Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressure dictates that such gases all exert varying, individual
pressures that must be equal to the total pressure observed. Under an atmospheric pressure of
747.8mmHg, the partial pressures and proportion of the aforementioned elements and Carbon
dioxide were determined experimentally. 22.92% of Oxygen was found to be present in air with
pressure of 171.5mmHg. Water displacement was used to determine the amount of Carbon
dioxide in air, and the results yielded in a percentage of 0.0400% and 0.2985mmHg as its partial
pressure. Nitrogen had a percentage of 77.05% and a partial pressure of 576.0mmHg, making it
the most abundant gas in air. The totality of the obtained partial pressures was determined to be
equal to the total pressure, confirming Dalton’s Law.

Introduction
In a mixture of gases, each where,
constituent gas contains a partial pressure X – mole fraction of the gas
which is known as the notional pressure, if 𝑛1 – number of moles in the gas
that particular gas alone occupied the entire n – total number of moles in the gas mixture.
volume of the original mixture at the same
temperature. The principle of Partial The law states that the total pressure
Pressure was based from Dalton’s Law of exerted by a mixture of gases is the sum of
Partial Pressure formulated by John Dalton the partial pressures of the gases within the
through his numerous experiments with mixture. Mathematically, it can be expressed
gases in 1801. (Dalton’s Law: Law of as:
Partial Pressures, 2019)
For the calculation of each individual 𝑃𝑇 = 𝑃1 + 𝑃2 + 𝑃3 … … 𝑃𝑛
partial pressure, it can be mathematically
expressed as: This sums up Dalton’s Law of Partial
𝑃1 = 𝑋1 𝑃𝑇 Pressure which is true for real and perfect
where, gases.
X – mole fraction of the gas Based on the Kinetic Theory of
𝑃𝑇 – total pressure of the gas mixture Gases, the different molecules in a gas
mixture are too far apart, that they act
Incidentally, the mole fraction of the independently from each other and do not
gas, which is required to obtain the partial react to one another. The pressure of an
pressure of each gas can be acquired ideal gas is dependent on its collision with
mathematically through the formula: the container, not with the collision with the
𝑛1 molecules of other substances. A gas will
𝑋=
𝑛 expand to fill the container it is in without
having an effect with the pressure of another an aerobic organism, it is a necessity to
gas. match the amount of oxygen in the tissues
The atmosphere or more commonly The amount of carbon dioxide present
known as the air that we breathe in is within expired air is 4%-5% by volume of
composed of a mixture of gases, most the gas increased 100 fold over the initial
notably Nitrogen and Oxygen. It is inhaled amount. (Patel, 2019)
composed of roughly 21% Oxygen, 78%
Nitrogen and 1% Argon (Wilmhurst, 1998). Methodology
The partial pressure for each component A. Determination of the Partial Pressure
may vary depending on the situation such as of Oxygen in the Atmosphere
when climbing a mountain or diving The large test tube was first filled
underwater. with water. Then, the water was transferred
With the human body being an in a graduated cylinder. The volume of the
aerobic organism that consumes oxygen water should be equal to the volume of the
according to its metabolic demands, it is test tube.
quite a boon for humans to be living in an Next, a spatula of iron fillings was
environment, where there is an abundant transferred in the test tube, given the
amount of Oxygen within the Earth’s condition that the inner wall should still be
troposphere. Based on Dalton’s Law, it moistened. The test tube was rolled on the
establishes the idea that the partial pressure table to allow the iron fillings to stick on the
of Oxygen and Nitrogen are dependent on walls of the tube and the excess iron fillings
the barometric pressure and its fractional was removed by turning the test tube upside
concentration. (Ortiz-Prado, 2019) down.
Nitrogen, being the most abundant A 250mL beaker was then half-filled
gas present within the earth’s atmosphere, with water. The prepared test tube was
plays a key role in the sustainment of life. clamped upside down inside the beaker with
Much like how Oxygen maintains life in the its mouth completely submerged in water as
human body, Nitrogen determines certain shown in Figure 1.
fundamentals of life, such as the extent of
plant growth, which in turn would have an
effect on the dynamics on the world’s food
supply. By the advent of the twentieth
century, mankind has discovered new ways
to make use of Nitrogen such as fertilizers
and fossil fuels which has revolutionized the
world. (Fields, 2004).
Carbon dioxide is stated to be an
essential trace gas in the Earth’s atmosphere.
The human body can produce a certain
amount of carbon dioxide when the body Figure 1. Experimental Set-up for
metabolizes nutrients. When our bodies Determination of O2 in the Atmosphere
inhale inspired air, which normally has a
higher oxygen rate than carbon dioxide Afterwards, the beaker and test tube
contrary to when we exhale expired air, it were carefully stored for 4 days in an
has a higher amount of carbon dioxide as isolated room inside the laboratory. A mark
compared to oxygen. As the human body is was placed from the observed height of the
water that has risen inside the tube.
 The volume of air displaced by water
inside the test tube was computed using the
height displacement by water. The inner
radius of the test tube corresponded to the
volume of the Oxygen. The percent oxygen
in the atmosphere was then computed by
dividing the volume of oxygen with the
volume of the test tube then multiplied by
one hundred. The partial pressure of oxygen
in the atmosphere was also computed by
multiplying the percent oxygen in the Figure 3. Flask, tubing, and vial setup for
atmosphere with the atmospheric pressure. carbon dioxide determination

B. Determination of the Partial Pressure The flask was tilted in order for the
of Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere shell vial to be tip over making the NaOH
An empty shell vial was lowered into solution to spill out, and swirled by holding
a 250-mL Erlenmeyer flask, where the vial it only using fingers to avoid warming the
was made sure that it remains upright as flask with the hands. It was continuously
shown in Figure 2. swirled until there was no further change
happening in the water level, while making
sure that the end of the tube B remained
below the water level in the beaker.
Using a ruler, the distance between
the water level in the beaker and the water
level in the vertical glass tube B was
measured; the value was considered as the
partial pressure of CO2 in mmH2O. The
partial pressure of CO2 in mmHg was then
calculated by dividing the PCO2 in mm H2O
by 13.6, and the partial pressure of CO2 in
Figure 2. Filling a shell vial with NaOH mmHg was divided by the recorded
using a funnel in a flask atmospheric pressure in the laboratory.
A funnel was then prepared and set C. Computing the Partial Pressure and
in the flask directly above the shell vial. A Percent Nitrogen in the Atmosphere.
small amount of 6M sodium hydroxide was With the use of the observed
obtained in a small beaker. Afterwards, it atmospheric pressure and data in parts A and
was poured through the funnel into the vial B, the partial pressure of Nitrogen in the
until it was about three-fourths full. A small atmosphere was determined. The percent
amount of baby oil was poured into the vial Nitrogen present in the atmosphere was also
until it formed a thin layer of about 1 mm on computed based on its partial pressure in the
top to prevent the sodium hydroxide from atmosphere.
reacting to carbon dioxide.
The funnel was then removed, and
the set up shown in Figure 3 was prepared.
Results and Discussion The partial pressure of gas in as idea,
Room Temperature: 24˚ C rather that something that can be measured.
Atmospheric Pressure: 747.8 mmHg As seen in Figure 4, the diagram illustrates
three different gases; A, B, and C. When by
Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressure itself in a container, each gas a specific
states that the total pressure exerted by a pressure.
mixture of gases is the sum of the partial
pressures of the gases within the mixture.

A. Partial pressure of Oxygen

Volume of test tube = 73.00 mL
Volume of 𝑂2 in the atmosphere
= 16.74 mL
% of 𝑂2 in the atmosphere = 22.92 %
Partial pressure of 𝑂2 = 171.5 mmHg

B. Partial pressure of Carbon Dioxide

Height of water in the beaker
= 60.00 mm
Height of water in the tube = 64.06 mm
Partial pressure of 𝐶𝑂2 = 4.060 mm𝐻2 𝑂 Figure 4. Idea of Dalton’s Law of
Partial pressure of 𝐶𝑂2 = 0.2985 mmHg Partial Pressure
Percent 𝐶𝑂2 in the atmosphere
= 0.0400 % Those same amounts all three pushed
into the same container again, resulting
C. Partial pressure of Nitrogen to increase in the total number of moles,
Partial pressure of 𝑁2 = 576.0 mmHg and therefore, the total pressure. Even in
Percent 𝑁2 in the atmosphere = 77.03 % the mixture, the pressure from a
particular gas only results from the
The atmosphere is composed of a particles of that same gas. The pressure
mixture of gases, most notably Nitrogen and imparted by gas A itself is equal to the
Oxygen, with percentages of 78% and 21%, number of moles only gas A ties the
respectively. (Wilmhurst, 1998). absolute temperature multiplied to the
Based from the obtained data in the gas constant, and divided by the
experiment, the Nitrogen gas comprised volume. (Partial Pressure, n.d.).
77.03% of the air. Compared to the values
from Wilmhurst’s, the standard error is 0.97. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:
It was followed by Oxygen having a
percentage of 22.92%, whereas, the standard 𝑛𝐴 𝑅𝑇
error is 1.92. Carbon dioxide had the last 𝑃𝐴 =
𝑉
percentage in the atmosphere among the where,
three gases, comprising 0.400%. Standard 𝑃𝐴 = partial pressure for gas A
error was used as a measure of statistical 𝑛𝐴 = moles of gas A
accuracy and the obtain values were very R = gas constant
minimal. T = Temperature (K)
V= Volume
 Determinations of the partial 0.0400% 𝐶𝑂2. Partial pressure was
pressures of CO2 and O2, can be used to computed and displayed results of 171.5
document the production-respiration balance mmHg 𝑂2, 576.0 mmHg 𝑁2 and 0.2985
of lakes, rivers, and oceans at the ecosystem mmHg 𝐶𝑂2.
level. (Carignan, 1998) This study can be applied in
The partial pressure of a gas identifying the specific composition of air
dissolved in a fluid can also be determined when the situation varied from the
using a catherer consisting of a double bored environment. It can also predict the
coaxial catherer, having an outer tube and a condition of weather.
spaced coaxial inner tube, the outer tube
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