Graham's Law of Diffusion
Graham's Law states that the rate of diffusion of a gas is inversely proportional to the square root of its molar mass.
Formula:
Rate₁ / Rate₂ = √(M₂ / M₁)
Where:
* Rate₁ and Rate₂ are the rates of diffusion of gas 1 and gas 2, respectively
* M₁ and M₂ are the molar masses of gas 1 and gas 2, respectively
Applying the Law
1. Identify the gases:
* Gas 1: Oxygen (O2)
* Gas 2: Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
2. Determine the molar masses:
* Molar mass of O2 = 32 g/mol
* Molar mass of SO2 = 64 g/mol
3. Plug the values into Graham's Law:
Rate(O2) / Rate(SO2) = √(64 g/mol / 32 g/mol)
Rate(O2) / Rate(SO2) = √2
4. Simplify:
Rate(O2) / Rate(SO2) ≈ 1.41
Conclusion
This means that oxygen diffuses approximately 1.41 times faster than sulfur dioxide. This is because oxygen has a lower molar mass, which means its molecules move faster and diffuse more quickly.
