Dalton's, Henry's, and Fick's Law

define dalton’s law

states that each gas will exert its own unique pressure based on its distribution in the atmosphere (higher concentration = more pressure from the gas)

describe the concentration of N, O, and CO in the atmosphere and their partial pressure

high concentration/partial pressure

nitrogen

oxygen

carbon dioxide

low concentration/partial pressure

define henry’s law

states that the quantity of a gas that will dissolve in a liquid is proportional to its pressure and its solubility

how does henry’s law describe why we don’t have more nitrogen in our blood streams

while its partial pressure is extremely high it is highly insoluble in alveolar fluid meaning only a very small amount is able to dissolve

how does henry’s law describe why we have more O and CO2 in our blood streams

while they have a smaller partial pressure they are highly soluble in alveolar fluid so larger amounts of these gases dissolve in the blood

define fick’s law

takes daltons and henry’s law and puts them in context of atmospheric pressure, diffusion distance, surface area, molecular weight, and more