If the volume of a container of air is reduced by one-half, what happens to the partial pressure of oxygen within the container?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Let's work through the question step by step and examine each option in turn.
Option 1: 'It is reduced by one-half.' If the volume is halved but the amount of oxygen (moles) remains the same, this would increase concentration, not decrease it by half. This statement misunderstands the relationship between volume, amount, and pressure for a given amount of gas.
Option 2: 'It does not change.' According to Boyle's Law for a fixed amount of gas at a given temperature, pressure is inversely related to volume; halving the volume while keeping the same quantity of gas should change the pressure, so the partial pressure of oxygen cannot stay the same. This option neglects the impact of volume on pressure.
Option 3: 'It is doubled.' When the container volume is reduced to half, the same number of oxygen molecules now occupy half the space. The partial pressure of oxygen, which is proportional to the amount of oxygen per unit volume, increases, effectively doubling if all else remains constant (assuming ideal gas behavior and constant temperature). This aligns with the inverse relationship between volume and pressure described by gas laws.
Option 4: 'It is reduced by one-fourth.' Halving the volume would not cause a reduction in pressure to one-fourth under standard conditions; instead, the pressure tends to increase, not decrease, so this option contradicts the expected outcome for a fixed gas quantity.
Considering these points, the option describing the increase in partial pressure due to the volume halving is the one that matches the gas-law behavior. The conceptual idea is that decreasing volume compresses the gas, raising its pressure; for the same species of gas and same temperature, the partial pressure of oxygen responds similarly to the total pressure change. In short, halving the volume leads to a higher, not lower, partial pressure for the oxygen component, and among the choices, the statement that it is doubled corresponds to that outcome.

Chemistry (H) - Varnold - Preparatory Academy - 2nd Semester - 2024/2025 Gases Practice Test for the Final

If the volume of a container of air is reduced by one-half, what happens to the partial pressure of oxygen within the container?

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