Which of the following gases is expected to have a higher solubility in water than what is predicted using Henry's law?
A. [tex]$CH _4$[/tex]
B. [tex]$H _2$[/tex]
C. [tex]$NH _3$[/tex]
D. Ar
E. [tex]$N _2$[/tex]
Answer (1)
Henry's law predicts gas solubility but doesn't account for chemical reactions.
Ammonia ( N H 3 ) reacts with water, forming N H 4 + and O H − .
Gases that react with water have higher solubility than predicted by Henry's law.
Therefore, N H 3 has a higher solubility than predicted. N H 3
Explanation
Understanding Henry's Law Henry's law describes the solubility of gases in liquids, stating that the solubility of a gas is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the liquid. However, this law doesn't account for chemical reactions between the gas and the solvent. If a gas reacts with water, its solubility will be higher than predicted by Henry's law.
Analyzing Gas Interactions with Water We need to consider the chemical properties of each gas and its interaction with water. Among the given gases ( C H 4 , H 2 , N H 3 , Ar, and N 2 ), ammonia ( N H 3 ) is a basic gas that reacts with water to form N H 4 + and O H − . The other gases ( C H 4 , H 2 , Ar, and N 2 ) are non-reactive with water.
Identifying the Gas with Higher Solubility Since ammonia reacts with water, it will have a higher solubility than predicted by Henry's law. The other gases do not react significantly with water, so their solubility will be closer to what Henry's law predicts.
Final Answer Therefore, the gas expected to have a higher solubility in water than predicted by Henry's law is N H 3 .
Examples
Consider a scenario where you're designing a system to remove gases from wastewater. Understanding Henry's law helps predict how well gases like methane ( C H 4 ) or nitrogen ( N 2 ) will dissolve and thus how effectively they can be removed. However, for gases like ammonia ( N H 3 ), which react with water, you'd need to account for the chemical reactions to accurately predict their solubility and design an effective removal process. This is crucial in environmental engineering to ensure water quality standards are met.
