Trimix is a general name for a type of gas blend used by technical divers and contains nitrogen, oxygen and helium. In one Trimix blend, the partial pressures of each gas are 55 atm oxygen, 90 atm nitrogen, and 50 atm helium. What is the percent oxygen (by volume) in this trimex blend?

The percentage by volume of Oxygen gas in the Trimex blend is 28.2%.

Explanation:

We shall use the formula that connects the mole ratio of a particular gas in a mixture with the partial pressure of that gas and the total pressure of the mixture: which is:

Mole ratio of Oxygen in Trimex = Partial pressure of Oxygen in Trimex divided by the Total pressure of all the gases that made up of Trimex.

Here we go, mole ratio of Oxygen = 55/195. The total pressure is the addition of the partial pressures of all the gases in the Trimex mixture, which is 55+90+50=195.

So the mole ratio of our Oxygen gas will be: 0.282, no unit.

This means we can assume the total moles of all the gas is 1, and oxygen is 0.282.

Since we know that 1 mole of any gas will have 22.4dm cube as volume, then the total volume of the Trimex will be 22.4dm cube, while that of the oxygen gas will be 0.282 X 22.4 dm cube = 6.3179dm cube. Therefore, the percentage by volume of Oxygen gas in the Trimex will be: 6.3179/22.4 X 100 = 28.2%.

28.2

Explanation:

Add all of the pressures, 55, 90, and 50, and divide 100 by the answer you get (195). You'll get 0.512820513 and multiply it by. 55 (atm of Oxygen) and you'll get 28.2