Question

Write the two applications of Henry’s law.

Mention some important applications of Henry’s law.

Answer 1

1. To increase the solubility of CO₂ in soft drinks and soda water, the bottle is sealed under high pressure.
2. Aquatic species feel uncomfortable in hot water.
3. Scuba divers must cope with high concentrations of dissolved gases while breathing high-pressure air underwater. Increased pressure increases the solubility of atmospheric gases in blood. When the divers come towards the surface, the pressure gradually decreases. This releases dissolved gases, leading to the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the blood. This blocks capillaries and causes a medical condition known as the bends, which is painful and life-threatening. To avoid bends and the toxic effects of high concentrations of nitrogen in the blood, the tanks used by scuba divers are filled with air diluted with helium (11.7% helium, 56.2% nitrogen, and 32.1% oxygen).
4. At high altitudes, the partial pressure of oxygen is less than that at the ground level. This leads to low oxygen concentrations in the blood and tissues of people living at high altitudes or of climbers. Low blood oxygen causes climbers to become weak and unable to think clearly, symptoms of a condition known as anoxia.
5. The way that oxygen reaches tissues is explained by Henry’s law. Because of the high partial pressure of oxygen in the lungs, when air is inhaled, it combines with the blood’s haemoglobin to generate oxyhaemoglobin. In tissues, the partial pressure of oxygen is low. As a result, oxyhaemoglobin releases oxygen, which the cells use.