A student performed a lab where ammonia and oxygen gases were bubbled through water at different temperatures .

Question

Gas | temperature water |solubility of gas100g water

O2. | 10. | 0.0055

O2. | 50. | 0.0028

NH3 |10. | 70

NH3 | 50. | 23

Using the data table above and considering the experiment, which of the following explanations is the best to explain the data?

Oxygen is most soluble at 50 C .

Ammonia is least soluble at 10 C

Oxygen is least soluble at 10 C .

Ammonia is most soluble at 10 C

Answer 1

Hi Camila F.,

Pretty much handed to you on a platter, wouldn't you say? Only one of the 4 statements is even correct, let alone a "best" explanation.

A better explanation might be, "Although all gases tend to be more soluble at lower temperatures in water due to entropy loss on dissolution, overall ammonia is much more soluble in water than O2 due to strong absorption by water molecules to form NH4OH".

--Cheers, --Mr. d.