Science Common Sense

1738 - What is Dalton's law of partial pressures?

Dalton's law of partial pressures is a simple rule that helps us understand how gases work together.

It says that when you mix different gases together, the total pressure of the mixture is equal to the sum of the pressures of each gas on its own.

Imagine you have a balloon filled with air (which is a mix of gases like oxygen, nitrogen, and others). If the total pressure of the balloon is 100, and oxygen makes up 21% of the air, then the pressure of just the oxygen is 21.

So, Dalton's law is like this:

Total Pressure = Pressure of Oxygen + Pressure of Nitrogen + Pressure of Other Gases