Answer to Question #54303 in General Chemistry for bello

Question

Please compare the percentage composition of atmospheric air with that of dissolved air. Explain why dissolved air contains more oxygen than atmospheric.

Answer 1

Atmospheric air consists of: Nitrogen – 78%, Oxygen – 21%, Argon – 1%.
Dissolved air consists of: Nitrogen – 62%, Oxygen – 34%, CO2 – 4%.
The difference can be explained by the fact that the solubility of each gas is proportional to its partial pressure. So that the concentration of Oxygen is higher in the dissolved air because its partial pressure is higher than partial pressure of other components.