Dalton's law

Dalton's Law (pronounced: DAL-ton's law), also known as Dalton's law of partial pressures, is a principle in physics and chemistry that states that the total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the pressures that each gas would exert if it were alone and occupied the same volume. This law is named after the English chemist and physicist John Dalton, who introduced it in the early 19th century.

Etymology

The term "Dalton's Law" is derived from the name of its discoverer, John Dalton. Dalton (1766-1844) was an English scientist known for his pioneering work in the development of modern atomic theory, and his research into colour blindness, sometimes referred to as Daltonism in his honour.

Principle

According to Dalton's Law, in a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure exerted is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases. This empirical law was observed by John Dalton in 1801 and is related to the ideal gas laws.

Mathematical Representation

The mathematical representation of Dalton's Law is usually expressed as:

P_total = P_1 + P_2 + P_3 + ... + P_n

where P_total is the total pressure exerted by the mixture of gases, and P_1, P_2, P_3, ..., P_n are the partial pressures of the individual gases.

Applications

Dalton's Law has many practical applications, particularly in the fields of atmospheric science, respiration physiology, and anesthesia. For example, it helps to explain the behaviour of the gases in our atmosphere, or how divers need to consider the partial pressures of different gases when diving deep underwater.

Related Terms

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Dalton's law
Wikipedia's article - Dalton's law

This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski