At some point, everyone has been under pressure—even Dalton! Explore Dalton's law of partial pressures with young chemists as they measure the volume of air extracted from a sample compared to its original volume. Class members perform calculations based on these measurements and determine the percentage of oxygen in the air. 

 

 

Concepts

atmospheric pressure, charles' law, partial pressure, barometers

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Relate the importance of Dalton's Law and Boyle's Law to scuba diving and deep sea activities
• Prepare a slide presentation describing Charles' Law, Boyle's Law, Avogadro's Law, and Dalton's Law to discuss with the class

Classroom Considerations

• Pupils should have prior knowledge of Charles' law to fully understand the concept of water filling the space previously occupied by a gas
• There are two choices for experiments in this lesson; either may be used to adequately cover the objectives
• This is the last lesson in a six-part series

 

Pros

• Two options for experiments allow the teacher to determine which is better for each class to complete based on needs assessment
• Provides an opportunity to conduct the lab numerous times, if necessary, to understand the concepts being conveyed

Cons

• None