View Single Post
  #1  
Old 02-09-2010, 09:09 PM
arze arze is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Singapore
Posts: 203
Thanks: 99
Thanked 17 Times in 17 Posts
arze is on a distinguished road
Send a message via ICQ to arze
Default Calculate pressure

Calculate the pressure in mm of mercury exerted by hydrogen if the number of molecules per cubic cm is 6.8*10^(15) and the root mean square speed of the molecules is 1.9*10^3 m/s
Comment on the effect of a pressure of this magnitude in a cathode tube.

I calculated the number of molecules per cubic meter is 6.8*10^(15)*1000000=6.8*10^(21)
then I used p=(1/3)nm<c^2>
where n is molecules per unit volume, <c^2> is the r.m.s. speed, and m is the mass of one molecule.
relative molecular mass of hydrogen is given as 2.02.
I plugged these values and got the pressure in Pa, then converted it to mmHg. Pa pressure=1.65*10^(28) and mmHg pressure then is 1.23*10^(26)
Answer is 0.21mmHg so my answer is way far off. where have i gone wrong?
__________________
To each his own.

Last edited by arze; 02-15-2010 at 08:00 PM.
Reply With Quote