If the total pressure is 760 mmHg, what is the partial pressure of oxygen if nitrogen is 300 mmHg and carbon dioxide is 350 mmHg?

To determine the partial pressure of oxygen, you can use Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures, which states that the total pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas in the mixture.

In this scenario, the total pressure is 760 mmHg, and the partial pressures of nitrogen and carbon dioxide are provided: nitrogen is 300 mmHg and carbon dioxide is 350 mmHg. By adding the known partial pressures together, you get:

300 mmHg (nitrogen) + 350 mmHg (carbon dioxide) = 650 mmHg.

Next, to find the partial pressure of oxygen, you can subtract the sum of the partial pressures of nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the total pressure:

760 mmHg (total pressure) - 650 mmHg (sum of nitrogen and carbon dioxide) = 110 mmHg.

This calculation shows that the partial pressure of oxygen is 110 mmHg, which aligns with the correct answer. It effectively illustrates how to utilize the total pressure and the partial pressures of other gases to deduce the missing partial pressure in a gas mixture.