Gases dissolve in liquids to form solutions. This dissolution is an equilibrium process for which an equilibrium constant can be written. For example, the equilibrium between oxygen gas and dissolved oxygen in water is O2(aq) <--> O2(g). The equilibrium constant for this equilibrium is K = p(O2)/c(O2). The form of the equilibrium constant shows that the concentration of a solute gas in a solution is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the solution. This statement, known as Henry's law, was first proposed in 1800 by J.W. Henry as an empirical law well before the development of our modern ideas of chemical equilibrium.
Stating the pressure-concentration ratio as an equation and use of the usual modern symbol for the Henry's law constant on a concentration basis gives the following form of Henry's law:
p = k'cc
In this form p is the partial pressure of the gas, c is its molar concentration, and k'c is the Henry's law constant on the molar concentration scale. Henry's law is found to be an accurate description of the behavior of gases dissolving in liquids when concentrations and partial pressures are reasonably low. As concentrations and partial pressures increase, deviations from Henry's law become noticeable. This behavior is very similar to the behavior of gases, which are found to deviate from the ideal gas law as pressures increase and temperatures decrease. For this reason, slutions which are found to obey Henry's law are sometimes called ideal dilute solutions.
Values of the Henry's law constants for many gases in many different solvents have been measured. The table below gives a few selected values of Henry's law constants for gases dissolved in water.
Gas Constant Constant (Pa/(mol/dm3)) (atm/(mol/dm3)) He 282.7 x 10+6 2865. O2 74.68 x 10+6 756.7 N2 155. x 10+6 1600. H2 121.2 x 10+6 1228. CO2 2.937 x 10+6 29.76 NH3 5.69 x 10+6 56.9Values in this table are calculated from tables of molar thermodynamic properties of pure substances and aqueous solutes
The density of water is about 1 kg/dm3 or 1000 kg/m3. A column of water 100 m high would have a mass of 100000 kg/m2 of its base which would exert an additional force of 980665 N/m2 or 980665 Pa. (The total pressure would be 980.665 kPa plus 101.325 kPa or 1081.990 kPa.) The pressure change of 980665 Pa would produce a concentration change of 980665/(155,000,000) = 6.33 mmol/dm3. The amount of nitrogen which must be lost is then (5)(6.33) = 31.65 mmol or, at room temperature and pressure, somewhat over 750 cm3 of nitrogen. This is enough nitrogen gas to create massive bubbles in the bloodstream. A depth of 100 m is considered a deep dive; considerable decompression time will be required in order to reach the surface safely.
The decrease in solubility of gases with increasing temperature is an example of the operation of Le Chatelier's principle. The heat or enthalpy change of the dissolution reaction of most gases is negative, which is to say the reaction is exothermic. As a consequence, increasing the temperature leads to gas evolution.
2. A diver is safer using a helium/oxygen mixture than a nitrogen/oxygen mixture when diving to longer depths or remaining submerged for longer periods of time. Using the Henry's law constant for nitrogen and assuming that the rate of gas loss from the bloodstream into the lungs is independent of the nature of the gas, how much faster could a diver using a helium/oxygen mixture ascend than if the diver were using a nitrogen/oxygen mixture such as ordinary compressed air?
3. Water is used as a scrubber to remove gases such as ammonia from industrial gas mixtures and from natural gas. How much ammonia could one cubic metre of water possibly remove from such a gas mixture? Upon what properties of the gas mixture does your answer depend?